Los Tiempos, a newspaper published in Cochabamba, reported on September 25 that “President Evo Morales asked yesterday, in his speech at the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UN), that concrete actions be activated to protect Mother Earth and combat global warming, but, according to activists, on the contrary the president activated in Bolivia in recent years at least 10 actions that contribute to destroy nature.” The hydeoelectric dams El Bala and Chepete were listed as one of the 10 actions. The mother earth activitist Pablo Solon was quoted in the article that the President "is totally inconsistent between what he says and what he does…Evo has turned the rights of mother earth into a slogan for the outside world, but not a policy implemented in Bolivia, when one sees their government program there is not a single concrete measure to realize the rights of mother earth.” You can read this Spanish language article here.
Dam break simulation with HEC-RAS: Chepete proposed dam
UMSA declares the Chepete-Bala project unfeasible
According to this blog post regarding the UMSA report on the planned Chepete and El Bala megadams, the planned megadams are not “viable on many grounds, and even the technology to transport this energy to a far away border with Brazil, makes it unfeasible. The most valuable National Park, the Madidi will be put under serious peril, the most diverse ecosystem will be in danger.”
UMSA recommends that the Government stop the Chepete-Bala project
The radio station 101.3 FM Bolivia reported on the findings of the Universidad Mayor de San Andres’ report on the planned Chepete and El Bala megadams. According to the news report, Victor Borda, the President of the Chamber of Deputies and a member of MAS, said that “the Government has an environmental impact study that does not estimate large-scale damage” and that the President, Evo Morales “suggested that a referendum be made and that it is the citizens who live in that place who can give their opinion regarding this project. We have a study. The environmental effects are not of great importance ” However, the Rector of the University, Waldo Albarracín, warned that “If the Government and President Evo Morales consolidate the construction of the Chepete-Bala hydroelectric mega-presses, they may be liable for the alleged crime of “ecocide.” "You can generate tremendous damage, and we could even say environmental crimes, which, based on the principle of imprescriptibility of this type of criminal behavior, can lead to subsequent criminal actions against public authorities if they intend to materialize these projects," he said. You can read the Spanish-language news report here.
El Diario: UMSA declares the Chepete-Bala project unfeasible
El Diario interpreted a report from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres on the planned Chepete and El Bala megadams. According to El Diario: “The document indicates that the construction of the hydroelectric plant will have a serious impact on the populations of the area, such as Rurrenabaque and San Buenaventura. According to ENDE, the Bala project would guarantee energy sovereignty for our country. Meanwhile, Waldo Albarracín says the consultancy study was never made public.” You can read the Spanish language article here.
UMSA delivered its report on Chepete Bala and sees serious environmental risk
In this Spanish-language news report, the researcher Jorge Molina from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres (UMSA) announced that the feasibility of the construction of the Chepete-Bala hydroelectric project is doubtful, because it presents “errors”. The 26 minute, 1 second video can be viewed here.
Wilderness areas halve extinction risk
According to this news release, a “University of Queensland and CSIRO study has found that wilderness areas - where human impact is minimal or absent - halves the global risk of species extinction.” The study authors found that wilderness areas “acted as a buffer against extinction risk, and the risk of species loss was more than twice as high for biological communities found outside wilderness areas…."This new research has identified the importance of wilderness areas in hosting highly unique biological communities and representing the only remaining natural habitats for species that have suffered losses elsewhere"…Vital 'at risk' wilderness areas include parts of Arnhem Land, areas surrounding the Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon, partially protected forests in Southern British Columbia, and surrounding savannah areas within the Zemongo Reserve in the Central African Republic.”
The export of electricity: Silence on mega hydroelectric plants and surpluses without a market
“One of the main projects of the current MAS government is to make Bolivia the energy heart of South America. According to the Minister of Energy " this year will close with a demand of 1,600 MW and an offer of 3,200 MW " [1] . However, to date there is no contract signed to export that surplus of electricity. According to ENDE, the objective is to reach surpluses of 10,000 MW through the construction of several mega hydroelectric plants to export them by 2025.” This Spanish language article reviews documents describing the platforms for three political parties in advance of the Presidential election: Movimiento al Socialismo, Comunidad Ciudadana y Bolivia dijo No. The El Bala and Chepete mega-dams are not specifically mentioned in these documents. For instance, BdN “makes no reference to export of electricity or the mega hydroelectric plants proposed by the MAS.” “CC does not clarify whether its proposal for 50% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030 includes any of the mentioned mega hydroelectric plants.” MAS does not mention the mega hydroelectric projects, but, does lay out plans to start selling electricity to Argentina in 2019.
Bolivia wins the Best Green Destination Award at the 26th World Travel Awards - Latin America 2019 as a recognition for the Rurrenabaque Tourist Destination: Madidi-Pampas
According to this news release from the Wildlife Conservation Society: “In the 26th annual 'World Travel Awards Latin America 2019' contest - held last July 13, in La Paz - Bolivia won four awards, including the Best Green Destination nomination of the continent as a recognition for the Rurrenabaque Tourist Destination: Madidi-Pampas. This award is the result of the effort of an entire region that is committed to sustainable and responsible tourism that preserves the natural and cultural heritage, towards achieving a high standard tourism services and the promotion of conservation-oriented development. This process is conducted by the Sustainable Destination Tourism Board with the technical support of WCS.
The Rurrenabaque Tourist Destination "Madidi-Pampas" spans several natural and cultural attractions in five municipalities (Ixiamas, San Buenaventura, Santa Rosa de Yacuma, Santos Reyes and Rurrenabaque), two national protected areas (Madidi and Pilón Lajas), three municipal protected areas (Ixiamas, Pampas del Yacuma and Rhukanrhuka) and three indigenous territories (Tacana I, San José de Uchupiamonas and Pilón Lajas). The initiative involves several community-run and private tourism ventures and has the support of the Beni Governance, the National Service of Protected Areas and the Vice Ministry of Tourism.”
The Dirty Business Behind Bolivia’s Clean Energy Plans
In this article, Thomas Graham writes about the three major dam complexes (Chepete-El Bala, Rio Madera, and Rositas) currently in development in Bolivia, a country whose famed altitude differences comprise a geography that is seemingly perfect for harvesting hydroelectric power. Why, then, will these new dams be built in flat areas, on land that would displace constitutionally-protected indigenous people, and offer only dubious economic returns? Graham looks at the different factors — from Evo Morales’s political ambitions to the introduction of Chinese credit — that have fueled these controversial developments in Bolivia, suggesting that these dams are really just the gateway to something far bigger and more serious: opening up the Bolivian Amazon for business.