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CRISIS OVERVIEW
Since November 2023, Bolivia has been experiencing above-average rainfall, particularly in February 2024, resulting in floods and landslides. As at 18 March, floods and landslides had affected over 150,000 people and killed 52 (ECHO 20/02/2024; PL 18/03/2024; IFRC 15/03/2024). Cobija municipality (Pando department) has been particularly affected as, on 27 February, levels in the Acre River rose above the historical maximum, flooding 14 communes and leading to the declaration of a state of emergency (IFRC 15/03/2024; OCHA 01/03/2024).
As at 11 March, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service had issued orange alerts for significant rainfall and thunderstorms (the intermediate level on a three-tier scale) in certain areas of central and western Chuquisaca, eastern Potosí, and northwestern Tarija departments. Red hydrological alerts warning of escalating river levels had been activated for portions of La Paz and Pando departments, with orange advisories extended to other rivers throughout the country (Crisis24 11/03/2024). As at 18 March, municipalities on orange alert included 10 municipalities in Beni, 29 in Chuquisaca, 47 in Cochabamba, 32 in La Paz, 31 in Oruro, 10 in Pando, 33 in Potosí, 12 in Santa Cruz, and 11 in Tarija departments (PL 18/03/2024). Overall, the floods had affected 133 municipalities, with 35 in emergency status and 17 in disaster status as at 18 March (PL 18/03/2024; Los Tiempos 18/03/2024).
As at 18 March, the floods had damaged over 1,300 homes and destroyed 900, with the affected population most in need of shelter and education (PL 18/03/2024; IFRC 15/03/2024). On the 2024 INFORM Risk Index, Bolivia scored high on river flooding frequency (5.5/10) and medium on lack of coping capacity (5.3/10), mainly as a result of limited institutional disaster risk reduction protocols and inadequate infrastructure to cope with flooding, hazard response, high socioeconomic vulnerability levels, and limited healthcare access (EC accessed 18/03/2024).