MMAyA working with local mayors on Chaco drought

Bolivia's environment and water (MMAyA) minister Maria Esther Udaeta has met with the mayors of 14 cities in the Chaco region to discuss solutions to the ongoing drought in the area.

The mayors presented alternatives to mitigate the effects of the ongoing drought, which the ministry will incorporate into a long-term plan to deal with the water shortage in the region, MMAyA reported on its website.

The ministry will also provide technical assistance for the initiative and expects to have an action plan ready within two months, Udaeta said.

Chaco includes the eastern departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca, which straddle the Gran Chaco marshlands bordering Paraguay.

The government declared a state of emergency in 16 municipalities in June due to the drought, BNamericas reported previously.