Glacier Retreat Threat to Bolivia Capital
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- wayseeker
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more from Science:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8394324.stm
Fears are growing for the future of water supplies in one of Latin America's fastest-growing urban areas - Bolivia's sprawling capital of La Paz and its twin El Alto.Scientists monitoring the glaciers high in the Andes mountains - a key source of water - say the ice is showing signs of shrinking faster than previously forecast.
Faced with a booming population and a combination of glacial retreat and reduced rainfall, the governor of the La Paz region is even contemplating moving people to other parts of Bolivia.
Water is already in short supply among the poorest communities and has become a cause of tension.
It's a problem that begins now but will become more serious as other, much larger glaciers melt as well
Dr Edson Ramirez
In pictures: Bolivia glaciers
In El Alto's District 8, I watched 13-year-old Christian Muraga fill a bucket from a communal tap shared with 80 families.
I asked if the tap always produces water.
"No, there isn't water every day from this tap, sometimes nothing."
The nearest alternative is nearly one kilometre away. Campaign groups say as many as one quarter of the city's population do not have ready access to water.
Sergio Criales of Oxfam told me: "The problem is getting worse because of climate change and because they don't have enough water to cover all their demands."
Water battle
The tap was established illegally and draws water from the scarce mains supply running in a neighbouring district.
Christian's father Macario said that there are often disputes over access to water and that fights occasionally break out.
Water has become so precious that we even found a group of women cleaning plastic bags in a heavily contaminated stream that stank of raw sewage.
When I asked why they were doing this, one replied that she had no alternative.
La Paz (BBC)
Much of the city's water supply comes from glaciers
"There is no other water to use. I know it is dirty and I am worried about my children. But what can I do?"
The shortage of fresh water is partly the result of the influx of tens of thousands of people to El Alto every year leaving the authorities unable to cope.
But another factor is a rise in temperature that's faster than the global average and its effect on the snow-capped peaks that dominate the skyline.
Click Picture to see video.
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- groups:
- Science
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- tags:
- Global Warming, Latin America, Glacier Melt, Bolivia, 1 more
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royulery
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there is no solution other than pumping for such high altitudes but $10/gal water is no solution. the air is too cold and dry to squeeze any water out with atmospheric pumps. the one advantage that such a high altitude has is that solar is more efficient.
- 3 months ago
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royulery
