Environmental issues in Bolivia
[3] As of 2015[update], its primary forest cover was 36.2 million hectares, the 13th largest national area in the world and representing 2.8% of the worldwide total.
[4] Due to mostly cattle ranching, mechanized cultivation and small-scale agriculture, Bolivia lost approximately 200,000 hectares of rainforest per year between 2006 and 2010.
[5] Brazilian companies and farmers in particular have made large investments giving them increasing control and influence over Bolivian land, which has resulted in deforestation.
[5] The Tierras Bajas region in eastern Bolivia, which was a site of a World Bank Development project, has seen some of the greatest deforestation due to the establishment of industrial scale soybean plantations largely by foreign landowners.
[7] Inexpensive land and fertile soil were additional driving factors for these immigrants who contributed to organizing commercial farming causing deforestation to increase by 60% from the 1980's to the 1990's.
[10] Concerns about the impact of illegal logging on deforestation were so serious that in 2011 Bolivian protestors were able to halt the construction of a highway that would have increased access to the TIPNIS territory.
[9] However, as the country progresses, expanded road construction might not only lead to deforestation but also enhance access for illegal loggers to these forested regions.
[11] Bolivia's economic conditions and rapid development have led the country to increasingly rely on cultivating soybeans, producing fossil fuels, engaging in illicit logging, and other practices that further exacerbate habitat loss.
[14] The Solid Waste Management (SWM) system in Bolivia relies heavily on open dumping, specifically in smaller communities.
[15] Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have been proven to have a positive impact on waste management in countries such as India and Uganda.
[17] In Bolivia's eastern and Amazonian lowland areas, air quality remains high throughout the year, except during the four-month dry season when these regions are prone to fires.
[18] Cities situated at altitudes above 2000 meters, such as La Paz, El Alto, and Cochabamba, face significant air pollution issues.
[20] This swift expansion has led to an increase in the number of motor vehicles and industries (brick production, oil refineries, metal foundries, etc.)
[22] The rate at which glaciers are retreating in Bolivia exceeds predictions made by climate experts and could result in possible negative effects on water availability in the country.
[25] The law aimed to regulate the use of forest resources, promote sustainable forestry practices, and grant user rights to citizens on public and private lands.
In the early 1990s, Bolivia committed to the Convention on Biological Diversity, leading to the establishment of numerous protected areas in its lowland regions.
