Why is the government unable to contain the fires? | DW News

Bolivia wildfires destroy nearly 4% of entire land area well parts of Central South America are experiencing the worst wildfires the region has seen since 2010 huge areas of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil are on fire and fires sweeping across rural parts of Bolivia are causing dangerous air pollution several neighboring countries are sending firefighting teams to help Bolivia has also deployed its military villagers and firefighters work side by side to battle wildfires that are sweeping across SES of Farmland in Santa Cruz Central Bolivia recent extreme drought has provided ideal conditions for the fires to spread in several regions leading to the deployment of soldiers to the worst affected areas indigenous groups are blaming the popularity of socalled slash and burn farming measures Ranch has cut down huge areas of Hillside forests which they then burn so that they can expand their pastures for grazing this is the reason wildfires are reaching our communities the Tomy Chuka Community was affected by a fire from a private property our community was also badly affected by a different fire their concerns are being echoed by thousands of protesters in the capital city lapaz the demonstrators are calling for an end to what they say a destructive farming laws please realize what is really happening in our country we have lost millions of hectars millions of animals have been burned to death and it's not fair we want to repeal the laws that are to blame for the fires in Bolivia that is why we're protesting to fight against this government and also the previous one they all approved these laws which are doing Us in Bolivia and Latin America a lot of harm the wildfires have engulfed more than 4 million hectares of land in bivia this year alone nearly 4% of its entire land area Gabriel Díez Lacunza, Journalist well journalist Gabrielle di Lun is standing by in Bolivia's Capital laas Gabrielle it's good to have you with us what are you hearing and seeing is the the farming practice of slash and burn is that part of the problem here good evening yes in fact in 2019 Bolivia lost 5.3 million hectares of uh Landing the the fires right so according to fund Solon there are at least 10 incendiary and decrease laws it means that this laws allows the the people to start fires just to um make their their planting and what's the government doing about this I mean if the government limits the amount of land that they can set a blaze isn't that being seen as an attack on people's ability to make a living in one of these laws the the amount is 20 hects but nowadays No One controls that I mean there is a lack of control of the government there is a lack of transparency the government is not doing what they should be doing we are now at least two months since the fires had started so uh just yesterday the government announced an environmental post which means that no one can start a fire do you this gabri why do you think that is why is the government so slow to react to um a situation that is obviously dire there are some uh some explanations since 20 3 the government of Evo Morales had reached this kind of um agreement with the Agro Agro Agro system of the east of Bolivia and that's because they had to produce more you know so this incend laws on decrease are were approved in the period of 2013 20 2019 so the government has interest in this okay journalist Gabriel Diaz Luna joining us from laaz Gabriel we appreciate your reporting on this thank you well for more let's bring in Stasiek Czaplicki Cabezas, Environmental economist environmental economist stashek tolitz cabus from lapaz great to have you with us uh 4% of Bolivia's land mass has already gone up in flames this year according to our report are things as bad as our report makes out they're even worse I'm afraid that U the current you know report that we have of 4 million hectares doesn't really bring out uh the reality that's that's happening because the 4 million uh actors reported are from three weeks ago we really don't know what has been happening since then and we can know nevertheless by the amount of fire that we can see that has been reported by individual communities that we are on a track of a record year uh in terms of ecological disaster St so our report also begs the question why can't the government stop what is happening or should the question rather be why won't they stop what is happening so that's uh I think that there's the the real you know uh devil in the details that uh does the government really want to stop the forest fires I mean uh for the past years they have been those forest fires have been recurrent and year after year the government has pushed for more favorable measures more favorable programs for the Agri business and cattle ranching expansion and this year it's a major we are entering into a major financial crisis in Bolivia and with that in mind the government has been pushing for even more favorable conditions for the expansion of the Agro business just to give you two examples in terms of prevention of forest fires the government in public institution which is the one that has to undertake those activities has a budget of $200,000 us for the whole year in terms of prevention of forest fires the whole budget of that institution is of 7 million hectares and the fines right now for those fires which are most of them illegal can get up to $2 us per hectare so you all everything has been put in in motion not to you know uh stop or have any incidence in terms of uh trying to slow down those forest fires with that in mind at the same time the government has pushed for a fund a public fund of $300 million at 0.5% interest rate for soy producers and oil P producers so you can see in yeah there's the conflict laid bare for you the there's money on the line protesters are on the streets but the government relies on Agri business to keep the money coming in and the lights on is there enough people on the streets to get the government pardon me to change course and to stop Farmers slashing and burning land not at all I I'm I'm afraid there won't be enough and not just because of that but because you know um it is not just about the current government it is about all the parties in the legislative power none of them want to take any you know strong measure against all these forest fires and at the same time it is clear that uh it is too late even if the government would want to take the proper measures in the coming weeks we are already at the month of September the worst month in terms of forest fires and October which is the second worst month is coming and all this is not just about you know announcing and taking measures right now it is about the whole process of uh public policy that has been has to be consistent and which is not right now well you've laid that really clearly for us we thank you stashek chapit Cabas thanks for joining us on DW