AMERICA/BOLIVIA - Study: 58 indigenous areas particularly affected by persistent forest fires

Saturday, 7 August 2021 natural disasters   area crisis   environment   natural catastrophe  

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La Paz (Agenzia Fides) - The fires in Bolivia are the focus of the debate and every year there are new regions and cities affected. According to a recent report by the Center for Legal Studies and Social Research (CEJIS), the area burned, especially in the 58 indigenous areas, has totaled 5,229,872 hectares in the last ten years, i.e. from 2010 to 2020.
The regions hardest hit were: North and South Amazonia, Chiquitanía and Chaco. In the period in question, the years with the largest wildfire were 2010 with 1,246,886 hectares (55%), 2019 with 635,578 hectares (28%) and finally 2020 with 398,960 hectares.
According to the study, 15 areas in the Amazon region with a total area of 2,753,083 hectares were affected in this decade. "Of the total number of indigenous areas, three are hardest hit: Movima with 16,504 hectares, Cavineño with 882,815 hectares and Cayubaba with 316,272 hectares".
In the affected areas there is also the Isiboro Sécure National Park (TIPNIS), which lies between the departments of Beni (San Ignacio de Mojos) and Cochabamba (Villa Tunari) and covers a total area of 1,091,656 hectares. "In the past 10 years, 28.64% of the area has been affected by fire, with a damaged area of 312,651 hectares", highlights the study.
The research center published the report on the damage also in the indigenous areas of the Bolivian lowlands. The analysis of the period 2010-2020, which reflects the effects of the fires that have lasted over a decade on the indigenous areas, emphasizes that these are the result of several factors, including the state policy to expand the areas for agricultural use (see Fides 13/9/2019 and 19/9/2019). (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 7/8/2021)


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