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Bolivia’s Indigenous Communities Face Devastating Wildfires Once Again

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Nicholas Vincent is a passionate environmentalist and freelance writer. He is deeply committed to promoting... Read More

Firefighter looking over a burned forest in the Bolivian Amazon

Wildfires are again ravaging Bolivia, particularly in the Chiquitano dry forests of the eastern Santa Cruz department. Experts warn that this year’s fires could become the worst in the nation’s history, a grim prospect for Indigenous communities already struggling to recover from last year’s devastation.

Source: Reuters/YouTube

The primary culprit behind these blazes is the slash-and-burn practices employed by industrial agriculture. Large-scale farming and cattle ranching operations use fire to clear vast tracts of land, a method that often spirals out of control. While traditional Indigenous practices like chaqueo involve controlled burns to clear dead overgrowth, these are rotational and typically do not threaten the forest’s health. In contrast, industrial slash-and-burn techniques are indiscriminate, exacerbating deforestation and contributing to uncontrolled megafires.

Communities like Asunción de Quiquibey in the Beni department are on edge. Thick smoke has enveloped the area for weeks, a stark reminder of the catastrophic fires of 2023 that destroyed crops and wildlife. “In any moment a fire could erupt,” says resident Hermindo Vies, who fears a repeat of last year’s disaster. The community is still reeling from the loss of their primary cash crops like cacao, which takes years to mature.

Despite the ongoing crisis, local and national authorities have offered little in the way of recovery Support or preventive measures. While some municipalities have imposed temporary bans on burning, enforcement is inconsistent. Indigenous communities are taking matters into their own hands, exploring alternative cultivation methods that reduce fire risk and participating in wildfire-fighting courses, though they lack adequate equipment.

Meanwhile, industrial agriculture continues its destructive practices with minimal repercussions. The fines for illegal burning are negligible, and enforcement is lax. “They set fire [to our reserve],” says Magaly Tipuni, president of the Tsimané Mosetenes-Pilón Lajas Regional Council, noting that large-scale operations are often the source of uncontrolled fires.

As climate change leads to chronic drought and reduced humidity, the risk of fires spreading uncontrollably increases. Indigenous communities are caught in the crossfire, facing the brunt of environmental and economic hardships. Without significant policy changes and Support, they fear that each fire season will bring new devastation.

Article information adapted from Mongabay. This article is provided under a Creative Commons license.