Report on the Human Rights and Sustainable Development Impacts of Wildfires in Bolivia

Introduction: A Crisis Intersecting with Global Development Goals

Record wildfires in Bolivia last year incinerated over 10 million hectares of forests and ecosystems, an area larger than the state of Indiana. A new report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) documents the extensive human rights toll and identifies systemic failures that contravene multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fires, fueled by dry conditions exacerbated by government policy and climate change, have severely impacted thousands of families, particularly Indigenous communities, undermining progress towards a sustainable and equitable future.

Systemic Causes and Setbacks to Sustainable Development

Government Policies and Agricultural Expansion: A Conflict with SDG 12 and SDG 15

The IACHR report identifies a direct link between Bolivian government policies and the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires. These policies have prioritized the aggressive expansion of industrial agriculture, directly undermining SDG 15 (Life on Land), which aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

• Laws have been enacted that legalize past illegal land clearings and authorize the use of fire for agricultural purposes.
• These measures have facilitated the conversion of approximately 7 million hectares of forest into single-crop plantations, primarily for soybeans and cattle ranching, between 1996 and 2019.
• This expansion of agribusiness, concentrated in the Santa Cruz province, is cited as the primary driver of deforestation and creates conditions ripe for uncontrollable fires, running counter to the principles of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Climate Change and Deforestation: A Threat to SDG 13

The crisis highlights the dual challenges of deforestation and global warming. The loss of forests disrupts natural water cycles, leading to drier, more drought-prone conditions that intensify fire seasons. While Bolivia’s contribution to global emissions is minimal, it faces severe consequences of climate change, underscoring a global climate injustice. This situation complicates efforts to achieve SDG 13 (Climate Action) and emphasizes the need for international cooperation and financial support from historically high-emitting nations, as called for under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Socio-Economic and Human Rights Impacts: A Failure to Uphold Core SDGs

Disproportionate Impact on Indigenous and Rural Communities

The report underscores that Indigenous communities, who are often stewards of the forest, were the most severely affected. This represents a significant setback for SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• The loss of land and natural resources has compromised subsistence economies and threatens the cultural and physical survival of these communities.
• The report expresses “enormous concern” for uncontacted Ayoreo Indigenous peoples residing in fire-affected regions.
• These communities face a double vulnerability: they are disproportionately impacted by climate change while being largely excluded from the economic benefits of industrial extractivism, which concentrates wealth and fails to translate into structural improvements for local populations.

Widespread Human and Environmental Consequences

The fires had devastating, far-reaching consequences that directly impacted the well-being and fundamental rights of the population, compromising several key SDGs.

1. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Fires destroyed staple crops and pastures, leading to the death of livestock and paralyzing subsistence hunting and fishing. Thousands of families required food assistance due to long-term damage to soil and food cultivation capacity.
2. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Over 145,000 children and thousands of adults suffered from respiratory problems, eye inflammation, dehydration, and diarrheal diseases due to smoke exposure and contaminated resources.
3. SDG 4 (Quality Education): Forced displacement and hazardous air quality led to widespread school closures, disrupting the education of children and teenagers.
4. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Rivers, already polluted by agrochemicals and illegal mining, were further contaminated by ash and debris. The scorched earth’s reduced ability to absorb rainfall threatens the replenishment of groundwater.
5. SDG 15 (Life on Land): In addition to forest loss, habitats for endangered and endemic species like blue-bearded parrots and giant armadillos were destroyed, and the fires released significant amounts of climate-warming greenhouse gases.

Recommendations for an SDG-Aligned National Response

Critique of Current Strategies

The Bolivian government’s response, which included deploying fire brigades and distributing humanitarian aid, was criticized in the report as being reactive. These emergency interventions fail to address the structural drivers of the crisis, such as unsustainable land-use policies and agrarian dynamics. This approach is insufficient for building long-term resilience and achieving sustainable development.

A Path Forward Aligned with the 2030 Agenda

The IACHR report calls for a fundamental shift in policy to prevent future disasters and align with sustainable development principles. Key recommendations include:

• Adopt a National Fire Management Plan: This plan should be preventative, incorporate ecosystem-based knowledge, and ensure the active participation of Indigenous and rural communities, thereby strengthening governance in line with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• Repeal Detrimental Policies: The government should repeal laws and policies that incentivize deforestation and unsustainable land-use change.
• Mandate Impact Assessments: Commit to performing comprehensive environmental and social-impact assessments for all activities that could affect ecosystems and human populations.
• Secure International Support: Rich countries must meet their climate finance commitments under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) to provide countries like Bolivia with the resources needed to transition from extractive development models and adapt to escalating climate risks.

The report concludes that the situation in Bolivia is a critical human rights issue, where the rights to a healthy environment, health, water, and life are at stake. It serves as a global warning that environmental crises are development crises, and addressing them is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights that the fires decimated ecosystems, affecting thousands of families, particularly Indigenous communities who rely on forests for their livelihoods.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The destruction of staple crops, livestock, and subsistence hunting and fishing areas directly impacts food security, leading to thousands requiring food assistance.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article details the health consequences of the fires, including respiratory problems, eye inflammation, and diseases caused by smoke exposure and water contamination.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The text describes how rivers were polluted by agrochemicals and then further contaminated by fire ash and debris, and how scorched earth impacts groundwater replenishment.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article emphasizes the disproportionate impact on vulnerable and marginalized groups, especially Indigenous communities who are most affected by the fires but largely excluded from the economic benefits of industrial agriculture.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The article directly links the fires to climate change, which contributes to drier conditions and more intense fire seasons. It also notes that the fires release more greenhouse gases.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – This is a central theme, focusing on the massive deforestation, destruction of forests and wetlands, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of ecosystems due to fires and agricultural expansion.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article points to institutional failures, such as government policies that incentivize deforestation, tensions between national and local governments hindering emergency response, and the need for inclusive fire management plans.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The article mentions the call for rich countries, as the largest contributors to climate change, to provide financial support to developing nations like Bolivia for conservation and to help them move away from extractive development models.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events. The article shows this target is not being met, as Indigenous communities were the “most severely affected” by the fires, a climate-fueled disaster.
2. Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. The article critiques Bolivia’s policies of “aggressively expanding industrial agriculture” and converting forests to “single-crop plantations,” which are described as unsustainable and a primary cause of the fires.
3. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The health impacts mentioned, such as “respiratory problems, inflamed eyes, dehydration and diarrheal diseases” from smoke and polluted water, directly relate to this target.
4. Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The article describes the incineration of “forests, wetlands and other ecosystems” and the disruption of the natural water cycle, showing a failure to meet this target.
5. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article describes Bolivia’s response as “reactive” and overlooking structural causes, indicating a lack of resilience and adaptive capacity to the growing threat of wildfires.
6. Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The article explicitly states that “agricultural and livestock expansion were responsible for nearly all of Bolivia’s deforestation in recent years,” directly contradicting this target.
7. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The mention that “dozens of endangered and endemic species… lost habitats or died in the flames and smoke” highlights the relevance of this target.
8. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The report’s recommendation to create a fire management plan that “incorporates the participation of Indigenous and rural communities” points to a current lack of inclusive decision-making.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 15 (Area of forest): The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators of deforestation and forest destruction. It states “10 million hectares burned” in the recent fires and “about 7 million hectares of forest converted to single-crop plantations” over a 23-year period. These numbers directly measure changes in forest area (Target 15.2).
• Indicator for SDG 15 (Biodiversity loss): The mention that “dozens of endangered and endemic species—including blue-bearded parrots, tapirs and giant armadillos—along with other wildlife lost habitats or died” serves as a qualitative indicator for the Red List Index (Target 15.5).
• Indicator for SDG 3 (Health impacts): The figure that “More than 145,000 children and teenagers were affected” by health issues and displacement is a direct indicator of the population affected by disasters, relevant to measuring the impact on health and well-being (Target 3.9).
• Indicator for SDG 2 (Food security): The statement that “Thousands of families required food assistance” is a direct indicator of food insecurity resulting from the disaster, which can be used to measure progress towards ending hunger (Target 2.1).
• Indicator for SDG 16 (Policy effectiveness): The article’s reference to “laws that legalized past illegal land clearings, authorized the use of fire in agricultural activities and opened Indigenous territories to intensive agriculture” serves as an indicator of national policies that are inconsistent with sustainable development goals (Target 16.b).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insideclimatenews.org