Bolivia to expand Cochabamba reservoir to ward off drought
The Bolivian government pledged to press ahead with the US$140mn second stage of its biggest reservoir in order to prevent a repeat of last year's drought, which was the country's worst in a quarter century.
The second stage of the Misicuni reservoir will involve drilling a tunnel to link the Putucuni and Viscachas River watersheds in Cochabamba department, according to the environment and water ministry.
President Evo Morales announced the investment during the inauguration of the 120MW Misicuni hydroelectric plant.
"When we build the second stage, we're going to guarantee 6,000l/sec for Cochabamba, enough for 20 years. There will be no lack of water," President Morales said in a ministry statement. "We feel capable of guaranteeing the US$140mn for the second stage of Misicuni."
Cochabamba is home to some of the country's largest natural gas fields and a major producer of fruits and vegetables.
The US$146mn first stage of the 120Mm3 reservoir, designed to provide 450l/sec to Cochabamba, has been plagued by technical problems since being completed in March. La Paz state water utility Epsas sent a team of specialists to investigate and fix burst pipelines in the water distrubtion system, according to environment minister Carlos Ortuño.
Morales last year declared a national emergency and sacked his top water officials for failing to warn the government about the lack of water supply. Epsas had to restrict services to 12 hours a day in 100 neighborhoods in the capital La Paz.
The eastern Andean region this year suffered the effects of both global warming and the La Niña phenomenon, where cooler ocean temperatures cause drought in the highlands, affecting crops and livestock. Morales is seeking US$500mn in international emergency aid to invest in potable water and irrigation infrastructure.
The government has invested 944mn bolivianos (US$132mn) in government programs Mi Agua and Mi Riego in Cochabamba, state Radio Patria Nueva reported. The investment included 239 potable water projects and 241 irrigation systems, adding 44,000ha of arable land, it said.
In other water infrastructure news, the government has lined up financing for a US$83mn, four year clean-up plan of Lake Titicaca, Ortuño said. The plan involves building sewerage treatment plants and designing waste management systems for towns in the Titicaca watershed, Ortuño told state news agency ABI.
Ortuño took part in a joint Peru-Bolivia cabinet meeting in Lima September 1 which included talks on combined efforts to decontaminate Titicaca, an 8,562km2 body of fresh water that straddles the countries' common border.
While Morales has pledged US$48.6bn in infrastructure and energy investments over the next five years, his government is struggling to line up financing as economic growth slows. Bolivia, which depends on natural gas for half its export revenue, saw export revenue drop 19% to US$7.21bn last year.
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