Severe Drought Threatens Bolivian Water Supply
2009-11-12 5:12
A severe drought believed to have been caused by the El Nino phenomenon has threatened water supplies in Bolivia, and has depleted the water level in Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is very close to reaching its lowest level ever recorded since 2003.
[Felix Trujillo, Employee, National Meteorology and Hydrology Service]:
".. The lowest level in history was in 1943 and today we are 43 centimeters (17 inches) from that level."
Farmers in the affected areas are struggling to save their crops and feed their livestock as they wait for long overdue rain.
[Benita Nacho, Farmer]:
"Lake Titicaca is drying up and we don't have water. The reeds which the animals feed on are dry…We suffer a lot here and there isn't any water, everything is dry. We don't even have water in our homes. We didn't drink water for two days. At two in the morning, they finally gave us a bit of water and I was able to store some. This is how we live here."
[Ronald Cory, Farmer]:
"Three months ago the water was up to the reeds. When we started to plant, the water was next to the crops. In the last three or four months the water level has dropped way too much."
The Bolivian government is concerned for food security in the coming months as the drought continues to take hold in the western and southern portions of the country.
[Hernan Tuco, Vice-Minister of Civil Defense]:
"The biggest concern we have is water and feed for the animals. We are working on exactly that with the Ministry of Rural Areas."
Officials estimate that some 8,500 families and 2.6 million livestock are affected by water shortages.
The El Nino effect should only come every 10 years, but Bolivia has suffered the effects in 2006, 2007 and 2008 causing compounding results with the lack of rainfall in the last two months.
El Nino is driven by abnormal heating of the eastern Pacific and is believed to be aggravated by global warming.
