Bolivia declares national emergency over El Niño-driven drought, flood risks

Bolivia has declared a national emergency as the El Niño climate pattern brings severe drought and looming flood threats across the Andean nation, President Rodrigo Paz announced on Saturday.

Drought has hit 63 communities, Paz said.

The government will work to minimiae the damage from the dry spell and potential floods that may follow.

It will pool funding and human resources through domestic resource coordination and international cooperation to respond to cascading impacts of El Niño.

El Niño refers to anomalous warming of equatorial Pacific waters, which can shift rainfall patterns and trigger alternating spells of drought and extreme precipitation across parts of South America.

The emergency designation unlocks faster deployment of relief resources to vulnerable areas.