Bolivia declares emergency as El Nino intensifies, threatens severe weather

Bolivian authorities have declared a national state of emergency in response to the intensifying El Nino weather phenomenon, which threatens severe droughts and floods across the country. President Rodrigo Paz emphasized the need for cooperation between all institutions, including rescue teams, national and regional authorities, armed forces, and police. The decree enables the deployment of additional rescue resources and calls for coordination among various agencies.

A Bolivian government report highlights the potential impacts of drought, with authorities warning of possible floods, flash floods, and landslides as the rainy season commences. El Nino, a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, disrupts global weather patterns, often causing drought in some regions and heavy rainfall in others.

The current El Nino has rapidly strengthened since June, potentially becoming a "super" El Nino, with researchers estimating that it could result in approximately 451,000 excess deaths worldwide between June 2026 and February 2027.

The United Nations has described the ongoing El Nino as "heading off the charts," predicting its impact could last several years. The UN is urging Pacific countries to prepare for the worst consequences. Recent changes in weather patterns associated with El Nino have been linked to various extreme events, including droughts and floods.