Экологические проблемы и обезлесение в Боливии.

Environmental issues in Bolivia include deforestation caused by commercial agriculture, urbanization, and illegal logging, and biodiversity loss attributed to illegal wildlife trade, climate change, deforestation, and habitat destruction. Since 1990, Bolivia has experienced rapid urbanization raising concerns about air quality and water pollution.

Bolivia has the 13th largest national share of the world's forest cover. Bolivia also has the seventh largest amount of tropical rainforest. Overall, forests made up 51.4 million hectares or 46.8% of the country's total area as of 2013. Both primary forest and overall forest cover have been declining in recent decades. Demand for Bolivian agricultural products has risen in part due to the integration of Bolivian agriculture into international commodity markets. Colonization schemes have also contributed to deforestation in Bolivia. Since the 1960's, the Bolivian lowlands have seen large scale colonization by rural nationals from the Andean region as well as America and Japan. In recent years, the growth of coca leaves has become widespread in Bolivia. To create space for these large plantations, large areas have been deforested via slash and burn operations. An estimated 4 hectares of forest need to be cleared for each one hectare of land needed for the cultivation of coca. Concerns about the impact of illegal logging on deforestation were so serious that in 2011 Bolivian protestors were able to halt the construction of a highway that would have increased access to the TIPNIS territory. Biodiversity loss in Bolivia can be mainly attributed to illegal wildlife trade, climate change, deforestation, and habitat destruction. Poor land management in Bolivia's cattle ranching industry accounts for around 50% of habitat destruction in the country. The World Bank implemented a technical assistance program titled the Disaster Recovery and Vulnerability Reduction Project to increase the country's capacity for response to environmental disasters and the waste management made necessary by these events. The controls implemented include erosion and runoff control, fuel management, site sanitation, trash and construction debris management, pesticide management, dust control, and noise reduction.

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) system in Bolivia relies heavily on open dumping, specifically in smaller communities. Open dumping is the act of disposing solid waste in a manner that may harm the environment, and leave the waste vulnerable to open burning, exposure to numerous environmental elements, and scavengers.

In Bolivia, only 8% of landfills are regulated, and recycling is under 4% of the total waste generated in the country. In September 2019, COOPI implemented a waste management program in La Paz municipality titled "LaPazRecicla. Integrated approach to waste management in the municipality of La Paz, Bolivia. New technologies to promote the circular economy." Fires have increased in these regions during the past few decades due to the expansion of agricultural activities. These cities are home to nearly 50% of Bolivia's population and have grown rapidly since the 1950's. This swift expansion has led to an increase in the number of motor vehicles and industries (brick production, oil refineries, metal foundries, etc.) within these urban areas, making them the primary contributors to air pollution. The use of unregulated septic tanks likely exacerbates the problem. Changes in air temperature and humidity have led to significant glacier retreat in the country's mountainous regions, including the Chacaltaya glacier losing 50% of its surface area and 66% of its volume since 1990, and the Charquini glacier losing 47.4% of its surface area since 1940. Climate change trends have increased mean annual precipitation by 15% in the Bolivian Amazon since 1970. In addition, climate change has resulted in increased rates of land degradation in the country, including increased erosion in areas affected by deforestation and an increase in the number and scale of forest fires. The law aimed to regulate the use of forest resources, promote sustainable forestry practices, and grant user rights to citizens on public and private lands. The law also established three national institutions for oversight, regulation, and funding. These areas were created to conserve biodiversity and mitigate deforestation. Later in 2006, further reforms to land tenure and forestry management were introduced, aiming to better integrate indigenous communities through community based forest management. However, these reforms faced challenges due to inadequate follow up and enforcement, resulting in a weakened forestry regime. By 2009, a co management approach was adopted for protected areas, involving collaboration among the protected area service, indigenous groups, and farmer organizations. Despite this progress, the re election of Evo Morales in the same year marked a shift in policy. Protected areas and conservation initiatives experienced a weakening, as populist and productivist policies took precedence. This shift became evident with the introduction of a 2015 decree that facilitated hydrocarbon activities within protected areas, accompanied by reduced funding, staff reductions, and increased repression of environmental and indigenous groups opposing extraction activities. From 2010 to 2016, however, no Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement (PADDD) events were reported in Bolivia. However, in 2017, the highway project across TIPNIS led to a downgrade in the area's protected status. Throughout this period, the law also established the category of "community lands of origin" for indigenous lands and initiated a land formalization program, supported by international donors and the state. This initiative resulted in an increase in indigenous lands, collectively owned community lands, and public lands, contributing to the broader efforts of environmental conservation and sustainable land management in Bolivia.

Water has become a contested resource in Bolivia due to increasing competition and unequal distribution. The high stakes of water access led in part to 1999's Cochabamba Water War, which consisted of a series of protests in support of deprivatizing water.