Bolivia declares emergency over rising number of forest fires

Interim President of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez visited the eastern region of Chiquitania on Wednesday, where fires have ravaged large areas of dry forests.

The Bolivian government have declared a "national emergency" in at least three regions of the country.

The emergency decree will allow the Executive "to work without bureaucratic restrictions; managing all resources" to extinguish the fires, said the stateswoman.

According to government information, 19 forests fires continue active affecting different areas of the Santa Cruz region, the agricultural engine of the country.

The fires also reached more than 4000 hectares of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

According to experts, August and September are the months with the most fires in the region. However, in August this year, the number of fires fell by 69% compared to the same period in 2019, according to the Forestry and Lands Authority (LFA).

(Image Credit Pixabay)