- Title: Bolivian water regulatory authority says water crisis will extend to 2018
- Date: 28th November 2016
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (NOVEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GOVERNMENT PALACE MORALES AT MICROPHONE FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES SAYING: "We hope, we hope that rain comes little by little to replace water in the system." VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS TAKING WATER OUT OF HYDRANTS FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS WATER FROM HOSE FIREFIGHTER TAKING WATER FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DROUGHT VICTIM, EMILIANO ROJAS, SAYING: "The people cannot go to restaurants, they spend at tanks, buckets in water, and you no longer have money to go to the restaurant. You have to spend it on other things." GENERAL VIEW OF WATER TANK ON TRUCK FIREFIGHTERS SECURING WATER APPARATUS VARIOUS OF POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REPRESENTATIVE FROM ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS, AFNAN AGRAMONT, SAYING: "The situation that we are living through regarding the scarcity of water resources will require a period of at least a couple of years to find a strategy that solves this situation. The problem is that it is not only a water crisis, but it is also a crisis in the management of water resources. What happens is that there are different elements that contribute to making this situation occur. Among them of course is climate change, which has impacted the availability of water resources, but also the lack of regulatory resources that allow us to manage resources effectively." VARIOUS OF FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF PERSON GETTING WATER FROM FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WASHING CARS WATER IN BUCKETS
- Embargoed: 13th December 2016 18:56
- Keywords: water crisis water rationing Evo Morales
- Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Droughts,Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA0025ACZZUR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Bolivia's water regulation authority announced on Monday (November 28) that the current water crisis would likely extend into 2018.
Victor Hugo Rico, the director of the state water company Epsas, said the situation - which is affecting five out of nine Bolivian departments - was not expected to normalize for over a year.
Meanwhile, President Evo Morales participated in an indigenous rain ceremony on Sunday (November 27).
"We hope, we hope that rain comes little by little to replace water in the system," he said.
As Bolivians struggle to find water from other resources, the NGO Engineers Without Borders is trying to help. Afnan Agramont works with the group and explained the situation they are facing.
"The situation that we are living through regarding the scarcity of water resources will require a period of at least a couple of years to find a strategy that solves this situation. The problem is that it is not only a water crisis, but it is also a crisis in the management of water resources. What happens is that there are different elements that contribute to making this situation occur. Among them of course is climate change, which has impacted the availability of water resources, but also the lack of regulatory resources that allow us to manage resources effectively," he said.
Bolivia's government declared a state of emergency on Monday (November 21) due to water shortages in large swaths of the country amid the worst drought in 25 years, making funds available to alleviate a crisis that has affected families and the agricultural sector.
Bolivia's Vice Ministry of Civil Defense estimated that the drought has affected 125,000 families and threatened 290,000 hectares (716,605 acres) of agricultural land and 360,000 heads of cattle.
President Evo Morales called on local governments to devote funds and workers to drill wells and transport water to cities in vehicles, with the support of the armed forces, from nearby bodies of water.
The national state of emergency comes after 172 of the country's 339 municipalities declared their own emergencies related to the drought. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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