Bolivia turns to cloud bombardment to provoke rain and fight forest fires

Bolivian Air Force planes carried out cloud bombardment with silver iodide on Thursday to provoke rain and thus help calm the storm. the forest fires that are affecting the east of the country, where the air is highly polluted, authorities reported.

“The meteorological conditions are favourable for stimulating two cloud formations in the area,” Deputy Minister of Civil Defence Juan Carlos Calvimontes told reporters.

The day before, the government of President Luis Arce declared an ecological pause, which prevents burning to expand agricultural land. It has also declared a national and health emergency to request international help.

In Santa Cruz, the country’s most populated region and an agro-industrial hub, more than 703 families have been affected and 21 homes have been burned, according to a report from the government.

In the afternoon, Arce is expected to fly over the areas most affected by the fires.

According to official data, nearly four million hectares have been burned so far, 40% of which are forests and 60% of which are grasslands. In addition to Santa Cruz, which is the most affected region, the Amazonian regions of Beni and Pando are also suffering from fires.

Pedro Damián Dorado, mayor of San Miguel de Velasco, traveled hundreds of kilometers to La Paz to ask authorities for help for his community, where the fire has consumed large areas of forests and grasslands. “There is no human force that can control the fires,” Dorado said Thursday, asking the national government to declare a disaster.

In the early morning, a “light, isolated and localized” rain somewhat alleviated the fires, according to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

Forest fires in Bolivia are caused by traditional agricultural practices. Farmers often burn to clear undergrowth before planting new crops, but in recent years the phenomenon has worsened due to lax laws to expand the agricultural frontier and drought, according to environmental experts. The fires often get out of control and cause large fires.

“Forest fires in Bolivia not only destroy the natural environment, but also worsen living conditions,” said Marco Rojas, Plan International representative in Bolivia.

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