According to this Spanish-language blog post from the Fundacion Solon, the Chepete reservoir would cover 677 square kilometers (km2), and that of El Bala would cover 94 km2. Both reservoirs would flood a total of 771 km2—5 times larger than city of La Paz. In total, 5,164 people would be relocated, the majority of them indigenous. In the area there are 424 species of flora, 201 species of terrestrial mammals, 652 species of birds, 483 species of amphibians and reptiles and 515 species of fish. Geodata confirms that “High concentrations of sediments could affect the operation of various structures such as catchments, pipes, reservoirs, turbines, and other components, due to the accumulation and abrasive effect of solids." Reservoirs, roads and power transmission lines will generate deforestation in excess of one hundred thousand hectares. The environmental files do not quantify the greenhouse gas emissions that would be caused by the loss of thousands of trees. The environmental files also do not discuss many environmental concerns such as mercury concentration in the reservoirs, impact on human health caused by stagnant waters, and the impact of the Chepete and El Bala dams downstream and throughout the entire sub basin. Several territories of indigenous peoples and nations that inhabit the area would be flooded or affected in their free movement. That is the case of the Community Territories of Origin of Mosetenes, Chimanes, Lecos, Tacanas, Uchupiamonas and others that are legally recognized within the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
The case of Chepete and El Bala