The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the debt vulnerabilities of many low- and medium-income sovereigns. Debt levels were already high for many even prior to COVID outbreak, but are now exacerbated because government revenues have declined as a result of limited economic activity – while the timing and the quantum of …
Using the 1994 Bolivian Integrated Household Survey, this study analyzes the equity implications of urban water sector reform including both increased water prices and increased access to piped water. Household water expenditures are examined by income decile, and low-income households are found to spend a higher percentage of income on …
Illegal logging is massively widespread - more than 50 per cent of all timber in some countries - and hugely damaging, yet how can it be tackled without causing poverty in local communities? Written by the world's foremost experts, this book examines the key issues including law and enforcement, supply …
Very few water experts are aware that water resources and water services can be subject to the terms of investment and trade agreements. In fact, free trade agreements can blur the boundaries of national jurisdiction and the control of water resources and public utilities, often producing negative social and economic …
In a recent meeting in Quito, the Ecuadorean capital, the heads of the four Andean Community of Nations signed the Quito Declaration, which seeks the extension of trade preferences with the us for a year. The agreement comes against the backdrop of a left-oriented group of nations taking on the …
Bolivian president Evo Morales's nationalisation of the country's natural gas has created a rift between Latin America's centre-left governments and the hard-left administrations of Bolivia, Venezuela and Cuba. Brazil, which gets half of its natural gas from Bolivia, and Argentina, Bolivia's second largest gas buyer, are worried Bolivia's takeover might …
When South America's poorest country goes to the presidential polls on December 18, 2005, land reform will be high on its agenda. Left-wing leader Evo Morales, a coca grower and an indigenous leader, has the support of many landless peasants. The Centre for Legal Training and Social Investigation, a social …
Bolivia, ridden with energy crisis-driven political turmoil, is currently witnessing a period of calm. Protests by peasants, miners and labour organisations, which forced president Carlos Mesa to resign after the Congress passed a controversial energy bill, were halted on June 11, 2005. The bill imposed on foreign oil companies a …
In Bolivia, there is intense political turmoil centred around its energy policy. President Carlos Mesa offered his resignation on March 7, 2005, following weeks of widespread protests and a call by opposition leader Evo Morales for a nationwide road blockade. "Bolivia is on the path toward collective suicide. I can …
What happens if political ambition clashes with business interest? Bolivia would know. The country is witnessing a growing disapproval of oil companies and President Carlos Mesa is desperate to maintain his popularity. Encouraged by a recent referendum on gas exports, Mesa's government is drafting a new hydrocarbons bill that has …
A nation characterised by military coups has chosen the ballot over the the bullet in a bid to settle a crucial national issue. On July 18, Bolivian president S
the vicuna, a delicate high-altitude cousin of the llama which inhabits the Peruvian hills of the Andes, is on the comeback trail. Its numbers have now reached 149,000
Oscar Olivera of Bolivia is something of a mascot for anti-globalisation movements across the world. During the recent Asian Social Forum meeting in Hyderabad, Olivera spoke in Spanish. And in spite of the tediousness of translated messages, his dozen-odd speeches found eager listeners in the 15,000 participants at the meeting. …
A storm of high intensity swept through the Bolivian capital of La Paz, claiming 48 lives. The storm brought the worst floods and hailstorms in the 500-year history of the city. Many people suffered injuries and some went missing. As a result of the storm, the Choqueyapu river overflowed destroying …
Rejecting environmental complaints lodged by indigenous groups, the regulatory agency of Bolivia has authorised Sociedad Transierra, an international consortium of energy companies, to build a 450 km-pipeline to Brazil. More than a year ago, the consortium had asked for a permit to build the pipeline which links gas deposits in …
A violent protest by peasants against rising water prices forced an international water company to withdraw its services from Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city situated at the foot of the Andes. Six people died in the outrage that gripped that city after the government hiked water rates in order to …
In a recent move, the 59-year-old state-owned oil industry has been privatised with international companies given the responsibility to develop and manage the country's oil reserves. The deal, which was worth us $835 million to the Bolivian government, provides the international partners a 50 per cent stake in ypfb , …
Chagas' disease, a debilitating tropical scourge named after Brazilian doctor Carlos Chagas, is threatening to swamp Bolivia. Half of the nation's 3.5 million strong population is exposed to the disease; 1.2 million are known sufferers, while 86,000 new cases are reported every year. The disease is caused by the Trypanosoma …
