Wildfires have been raging in Bolivia since May this year and up until now have largely raged unchecked destroying an estimated four million hectares of land according to the Friends of Nature Foundation (FAN).
Fortunately a heavy deluge of rain seems to have eliminated the fires across the Chiquitanía region – which is one of the most affected with nearly 2.9 million hectares of grassland and forest gone including significant parts of the Otuquis National Park.
Whether the rains will extinguish the remaining fires remains unknown, but like many Presidents in the region the environmental policies of President Evo Morales are coming under scrutiny and there has been large scale demonstrations urging President Morales to declare a national emergency.
With all the climate change concerns perhaps its time for a world summit to seek a solution to the increasing destruction being done to this vital ecology.
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BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean
