Bolivia declares national emergency as El Niño drought hits 78,000 families

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a national state of emergency on October 31 to free resources for drought and flooding linked to the current El Niño cycle. He signed Supreme Decree 5759 after the National Council for Risk Reduction recommended the measure. The decree covers risks of drought, floods, frosts, hail, forest fires and river overflows through 2026-2027.

A government report released this week stated that drought is affecting 78,217 families across six or seven of Bolivia’s nine departments. More than 75,000 head of cattle have already died. Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano later put the broader affected population at 114,048 families in 63 municipalities, with 35,831 of those classified as having suffered direct livelihood losses. Sixty-three communities have already declared local emergencies due to water shortages.

Paz said the phenomenon would deliver severe impacts through both drought and subsequent flooding. He called for cooperation from ministries, departmental governments, municipalities, the armed forces and police. The decree allows faster deployment of rescue teams and financial resources without the usual administrative delays. Officials described the move as anticipatory rather than reactive, noting that previous El Niño events had been met only after damage was already widespread.

El Niño warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and alters rainfall patterns worldwide. The current cycle is projected to peak in late 2026 and could rank among the strongest on record. Neighboring countries have already recorded extremes: Santiago, Chile, saw its rainiest October ever, while wildfires in Peru killed at least twelve people last month. The United Nations has warned of potentially unprecedented strength with effects across Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.

Bolivia is particularly exposed because of its topography. Highland areas face prolonged dry conditions that kill livestock and reduce crop yields. Lowland and valley regions later face flash floods and river overflows once the rains arrive. In December 2025, floods in Santa Cruz killed dozens. The current drought has already reduced pasture and water for cattle, forcing sales or losses for smallholders who depend on livestock.

The emergency declaration does not by itself create new funding. It streamlines the use of existing budgets and enables requests for international assistance. Paz has asked for cooperation from foreign partners. Implementation will depend on coordination between the national government and subnational authorities, some of which are controlled by opposition parties. Local reports indicate that water trucking and emergency fodder distribution have begun in the hardest-hit municipalities.

Scientists have estimated that an intense El Niño of this magnitude could contribute to hundreds of thousands of excess deaths globally between mid-2026 and early 2027, concentrated in lower-income countries with limited adaptive capacity. Bolivia’s agricultural sector, which employs a large share of the rural population, is among the sectors most immediately affected. Losses of cattle reduce both immediate food supply and longer-term breeding stock.

The decree was published in the official gazette on October 31. Ministers have been instructed to execute the measures. Further assessments of crop damage and water-table levels are expected in the coming weeks as the rainy season approaches. Whether the early declaration reduces the overall impact will become clearer once the peak of the event arrives later this year.