Elettra Tirino (Senior Researcher G.E.O Environment)
Abstract
In 2024, Bolivia faced its most destructive fire season on record, with over 10 million hectares burned - 58 percent of its forest. The fires, driven by drought and policy-enabled deforestation, severely impacted ecosystems, wildlife, and rural communities. Legalized slash-and-burn practices, weak enforcement, and agribusiness expansion fueled the crisis. Public health deteriorated, air quality plummeted, and biodiversity suffered irreversible losses. Despite the scale of destruction, global attention remained minimal. This paper analyzes the causes, impacts, and policy failures behind the fires and proposes urgent reforms for sustainable land management.
1. Introduction
Between May and October 2024, Bolivia endured one of the most devastating fire seasons in its history, with massive forest fires primarily affecting the Llanos de Chiquitos and the Bolivian Amazon regions. These fires have been recorded as the largest the country has ever faced in terms of the affected area. An alarming 36,800 fire hotspots were reported during this period, with 97 percent located in the departments of Beni and Santa Cruz. In response, Beni was declared a disaster zone and Santa Cruz a state of emergency (OCHA, 2024).
By October 2024, it was estimated that over 10 million hectares of land had been ravaged by the fires – an area comparable in size to Iceland or Cuba, and equivalent to nearly eighteen million American football fields. Of this vast area, 58 percent was forest, while the remaining 42 percent consisted of non-forest vegetation (Machicao & Ramos 2024). The Bolivian government, led by President Luis Arce, officially declared a national emergency on September 20 in light of the worsening crisis.
Although the peak fire season in South America typically occurs between August and September, 2024’s fires began much earlier than usual. A prolonged drought, intensified by climatic shifts, exacerbated the severity and spread of the fires, pushing the situation to catastrophic levels. According to the National Agrarian Reform Institute (INRA), the 2024 fire season had an unprecedented impact on Bolivia’s ecosystems, wildlife, and rural populations. Thousands of households have been directly affected – many displaced after losing their homes, crops, and sources of income (WWF, 2024). The fires have also severely polluted the air and contaminated water supplies, compounding the crisis for affected communities. However, despite the sheer scale and destruction, Bolivia’s 2024 fire season has received significantly less international attention than the high-profile fires of 2019.
Between May and October 2024, Bolivia experienced one of the most devastating fire seasons in its history, with over 10 million hectares of land burned—more than half of which was forest. The fires, concentrated primarily in the departments of Santa Cruz and Beni, were driven by a combination of prolonged drought, unsustainable land-use practices, and weak environmental governance. This paper examines the scale, causes, and consequences of the 2024 fire season, highlighting the environmental, social, and political dimensions of the crisis. Through quantitative analysis and policy evaluation, the study reveals how legal frameworks promoting agricultural expansion, poor enforcement mechanisms, and limited disaster preparedness have contributed to the escalation of wildfires. It also explores the broader implications for biodiversity loss, public health, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience. Despite the magnitude of destruction, Bolivia’s crisis has received limited global attention, underscoring the need for international awareness and cooperation. The paper concludes by proposing a multi-pronged strategy for fire prevention and forest conservation, emphasizing the urgency of structural reforms, local empowerment, and international accountability to prevent future disasters and support sustainable development in Bolivia.
2. Quantitative Analysis of Fires
As previously mentioned, fire seasons – typically occurring between August and September – are a recurring part of the natural weather cycle in many South American countries. However, the frequency and intensity of fires have significantly increased since the early 2000s. In Bolivia, this trend is particularly alarming. Between 2001 and 2023, the country experienced an annual average of 3.7 million hectares burned (Argandona, 2025). The year 2024 marked an environmental turning point for Bolivia, as it was declared the most devastating national environmental disaster in the country’s recent history.
Figure 1. Forest Fires in Bolivia Blaze
Source: Machicao M. & Ramos, R., 2024. “Bolivia Wildfires Burn Record Area” – Reuters. Retrieved at: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolivia-wildfires-burn-record-area-scorching-homes-farms-2024-10-07/
In 2024, the number of active forest fires surpassed even the previous record set in 2010, highlighting the severity of the situation. Between April 15 and the end of the year, Bolivia reported a staggering 47,472 high-confidence fire alerts from the VIIRS satellite system – an unusually high figure when compared to historical data. To put this into perspective, from 2001 to 2023, Bolivia lost approximately 2.06 million hectares of tree cover due to fires. In contrast, 2024 alone accounted for 979,000 hectares of forest loss, nearly half of the total loss recorded over the previous twenty-two years (Global Forest Watch, 2024). This dramatic increase was especially concentrated in the departments of Santa Cruz and Beni, regions that have been particularly vulnerable to deforestation and fire-related damage.
The intense and widespread wildfires of 2024 severely deteriorated air quality across Bolivia. Smoke and ash, carried by prevailing winds, blanketed numerous cities, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) in many regions to “very poor” and even “extremely poor” levels (OCHA, 2024). This created a significant health risk for residents and led to extraordinary atmospheric conditions – ash falling from the sky like rain. The poor air quality prompted government authorities to issue public health advisories recommending that people stay indoors, wear protective masks, and stay well-hydrated. In response to the hazardous conditions, over 3,000 schools nationwide were closed, and many classes were moved to virtual platforms to safeguard the health of students and staff. Despite the recommendations, exposure to wildfire smoke caused widespread health issues. National hospitals reported treating at least 6,053 patients suffering from symptoms such as eye irritation, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter in the air also poses long-term health risks, especially for vulnerable populations (OCHA, 2024). .
The thick smoke also significantly reduced visibility in many areas, disrupting both domestic and international travel. Many airports, including the Viru Viru International Airport, the busiest airport, were temporarily closed due to visibility dropping to just 100 meters, causing logistical issues for both emergency response efforts and regular transportation.
The toll on Bolivia’s rich biodiversity was devastating too. While the full extent of wildlife loss remains unquantified, biologists estimate that over 10 million animals may have perished, including around 6 million mammals (IUCN, 2024). This includes many native and endangered species, such as jaguars and pumas. The damage to wildlife is considered irreversible by many conservationists. Rescue efforts were limited, as firefighters had to focus on controlling the fires rather than saving animals. In addition to immediate destruction, the aftermath of rain poses a new threat. Pollutants from smoke and ash are absorbed by rainwater and deposited into the soil, which is already degraded and has poor absorption capacity. This combination increases the risk of flooding and soil erosion, compounding the environmental damage. Moreover, the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires have critically weakened this ecosystem’s natural resilience. Scientific studies have shown that areas that burn more than once are far less likely to recover compared to those affected by a single fire (IUCN, 2024). Repeated burns disrupt regeneration processes, shift species composition, and degrade the forest’s overall health. Fire-adapted species often dominate after frequent fires, but these are generally less ecologically diverse, valuable, and support less biodiversity. As a result, many slow-growing and endemic species face escalating threats, while plant species with long recovery cycles may not regenerate at all.
Fires are not only an environmental tragedy but also a humanitarian one. Thousands of rural families, many of whom depend on subsistence farming and forest resources, have seen their homes, crops, and livestock destroyed. The destruction of food sources has led to shortages and economic distress. Long-term impacts, such as soil degradation and contaminated water sources, further threaten the sustainability of these communities (Euronews, 2024).
3. Causes and Responsibilities
One of the main contributors to Bolivia’s environmental crisis is the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, a land-clearing technique where vegetation is cut down and then set on fire to prepare land for farming or livestock. Though technically classified as arson under Bolivian law, this method has been normalized and even encouraged through policy. Introduced under the presidency of Evo Morales (2006–2019), a legal framework permits the clearing of up to 20 hectares per property, effectively legalizing fire-based deforestation in the name of agricultural expansion (Defensa Civil, 2024). These practices are especially common during the dry season and, though they are supposed to be controlled, they often escape containment and escalate into large-scale forest fires. Despite temporary bans, enforcement is weak, and oversight institutions like the Authority for Supervision and Social Control of Forests and Land (ABT) often fail to intervene (Sierra Praeli, 2024).
The environmental consequences of this practice are staggering. In 2023 alone, Bolivia lost nearly 596,000 hectares of forest, making it the third-highest country globally for primary forest loss, after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over the last eight years, the deforestation rate in Bolivia has surged by 259 percent, largely due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier (Global Forest Watch, 2025). Between 2010 and 2024, the country lost an estimated 3 million hectares of forest: 57 percent of that land was converted for livestock and 33 percent for mechanized agriculture. Satellite data shows that soy plantations alone have cleared over 900,000 hectares between 2001 and 2023—an area equivalent to the size of Puerto Rico (NASA Earth Observation, 2025). The department of Santa Cruz has been the hardest hit, accounting for 79 percent of deforestation. Alarmingly, 44.9 percent of all fires in 2023 occurred on corporate-owned land, which represents only 16 percent of Bolivia’s total territory. Meanwhile, fewer than 500 fire reports were submitted by companies, despite 50,000 properties being affected, pointing to an alarming lack of accountability (Global Forest Watch, 2025).
These outcomes are not just the result of poor land practices – they are rooted in government policy. Beyond Morales’s “arson laws,” the current administration under Luis Arce has further institutionalized the use of fire through Administrative Resolution 096/2024, which endorses the idea of controlled burns (Machicao & Ramos, 2024). However, in practice, these burns are rarely monitored or controlled. Instead of repealing the previous laws, the Arce government has opted to maintain them under the justification of protecting producers. Moreover, enforcement is minimal, and penalties are almost symbolic. Illegal deforestation is regularly retroactively legalized, and fines are as low as $0.20 per hectare, in stark contrast to neighboring countries, where penalties reach $200 per hectare. Even lands designated as Permanent Forest Production Lands (PFPL) have not been spared – 41 percent of deforestation between 2010 and 2024 occurred in these supposedly protected areas (Alonso, 2025).
At the heart of these decisions there Bolivia’s development model, which prioritizes agribusiness and extractive industries as engines of economic growth. The government has channeled $2.5 billion in public funds – including citizen tax revenue and pension savings – into the soy, sugar, and livestock sectors, reinforcing their dominance (Czaplicki Cabezas, 2025). Meanwhile, funding for environmental protection remains minimal: in 2023, only 1.4 million bolivianos (about $200,000) were allocated for fire prevention – less than 1.4 percent of ABT’s revenue. Easy access to bank loans, combined with low agricultural productivity (Bolivia’s soy yields are significantly lower than those of Brazil or Argentina), leads producers to expand their land rather than improve efficiency. Land speculation also plays a role, as deforestation is often used to claim and secure tenure. In regions like the Chiquitanía, more than 1.5 million hectares have been titled for large-scale mechanized agriculture and cattle ranching. Bolivia has also attracted foreign investors, particularly from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, who take advantage of the country’s permissive environmental regulations (TierraViva Agencia de Noticias, 2024). The opening of the Chinese beef market in 2019 further accelerated livestock expansion, especially in Santa Cruz.
The environmental toll of this model is immense. The widespread destruction of forests is accelerating biodiversity loss, disrupting water cycles, and exacerbating drought. As Bolivia’s vegetation disappears, the land becomes more vulnerable to extreme weather and fire. Scientists have confirmed that while most fires are set by humans, their spread and intensity have been amplified by climate change, including more frequent heat waves, dry seasons, and reduced rainfall. The damage extends beyond forests. According to FAN Bolivia (Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza) Bolivia’s glaciers have shrunk by 56 percent over the past 37 years, resulting in the loss of 39,000 hectares of ice and threatening water supplies for major cities (OCHA, 2024). These glaciers, already at critical thresholds, are melting faster due to the loss of forest cover that would otherwise regulate temperature and rainfall. Ultimately, Bolivia’s deforestation and fire crisis is not an isolated issue – it is the product of a development paradigm that prioritizes short-term economic returns over long-term ecological sustainability. Without decisive structural reforms—stronger environmental protections, the reversal of harmful policies, and a shift toward truly sustainable land use—the country risks losing not only its forests, but the natural systems that support life and livelihoods across Bolivia.
4. Strategies to Combat Fires and Deforestation
To effectively confront the escalating fire crisis in Bolivia, a comprehensive strategy must be implemented that addresses prevention, response, and long-term sustainability.
First and foremost, public fire prevention and management policies must be strengthened and applied at all stages: before, during, and after fire outbreaks. This includes not only improving forest fire management and prevention planning in vulnerable areas but also ensuring that emergency response systems are adequately funded to support both firefighting efforts and the communities affected by fires, particularly in mitigating food shortages (IUCN, 2024). Long-term resilience requires robust land-use governance, including a strict permitting system, meaningful penalties for illegal deforestation, and the repeal of laws that currently promote unchecked agricultural expansion. Public institutions such as the ABT and SERNAP must be provided with significantly more financial and technical resources, while local stakeholders - including indigenous peoples, farmers, ranchers, and park rangers - must be trained in sustainable forest management and fire prevention. Bolivia must also adopt sustainable land-use policies that balance agricultural production with forest conservation, particularly by reversing policies that allow deforestation in Permanent Forest Production Lands (TPFP). On an international level, pressure remains limited; Bolivia has not signed key agreements like the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration, and though it joined the Belém Declaration, it opposed setting a shared goal of zero deforestation. Therefore, internal policy reform and external supply chain accountability are crucial. Introducing due diligence requirements for soybean traders to ensure they do not source from illegally deforested lands, along with pushing for deforestation-free commitments, can increase transparency and responsibility in agricultural exports (TierraViva Agencia de Noticias, 2024). Consumers, too, have a role in demanding products that are free from deforestation, which would elevate market-driven accountability. Ongoing efforts by researchers and civil society - ranging from collecting critical data to advocating for policy change - must be amplified through global media and integrated into Bolivia’s political discourse, particularly as general elections approach. Ultimately, real progress requires not only political will but also long-term commitment to restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and building a more resilient and sustainable future for the country.
5. Conclusion
The unprecedented fire season that ravaged Bolivia between May and October 2024 stands as a stark warning of the dangerous intersection between environmental degradation, unsustainable development policies, and climate change. With over 10 million hectares scorched - destroying forests, displacing communities, and decimating biodiversity - the 2024 fires have exposed the deep-rooted vulnerabilities in Bolivia’s environmental governance and land-use strategies. This catastrophe was not merely a natural disaster but a consequence of policy choices that prioritized short-term economic gains over ecological balance, compounded by global inaction and limited international attention.
The data make clear that Bolivia’s fire crisis is no longer a cyclical seasonal event but a growing systemic threat. It demands a fundamental shift away from the legal, economic, and institutional frameworks that enable and normalize deforestation and land burning. Without urgent and decisive reforms - from repealing permissive fire-use policies to enforcing corporate accountability and investing in sustainable development – the country risks irreversible ecological collapse and escalating humanitarian crises.
As the climate crisis intensifies across the continent, Bolivia’s 2024 fire season must catalyze national and international action. The path forward lies not only in stronger environmental protection and governance but also in empowering local communities, reshaping markets, and restoring the ecosystems that sustain life. What is happening in Bolivia is not isolated; it is emblematic of a broader crisis unfolding across the Global South. A sustainable future is still possible, but it will require bold leadership, systemic change, and global solidarity - before the flames return.
Bibliography
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