Forest fires in Bolivia destroy millions of hectares of tropical forest

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of the catastrophic consequences of the current forest fires in Bolivia for the indigenous communities living there and calls for immediate protective measures. “Indigenous territories are at the epicenter of the fires. The pressure on these territories is growing every year. Instead of providing comprehensive information and protection, the Bolivian government is downplaying the extent of the destruction, thereby putting the lives of indigenous peoples at risk,” explains Jan Königshausen, expert on Indigenous Peoples at the STP. According to a report by the Bolivian NGO CEJIS, 7,865 fire hotspots had been recorded by September 12, 2025. According to the report, there were forest fires in 45 of 58 indigenous territories in the Bolivian lowlands.

“The Bolivian government must take immediate action in the fire areas. A national state of emergency was declared on August 20. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of reliable data on the current fire season and targeted support measures for communities and emergency services,” criticizes Königshausen. “In order to better protect Indigenous Peoples, fire bans in and around indigenous areas must be consistently enforced, illegal slash-and-burn practices must be stopped, and community-based prevention measures must be strengthened.”

According to the human rights organization, one of the main reasons for the increasingly devastating forest fires is the ongoing deforestation. “Deforestation is not a predetermined fate, but the result of political and economic decisions – it can be stopped,” says Königshausen. Bolivia's government, on the other hand, points to “illegal actors” – such as illegal mining or drug-related crime – as the main cause of individual large fires, as was recently the case with the forest fire in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. However, there have been no publicly available investigation reports. In addition, the government's inefficiency in dealing with the fire has exacerbated the devastating consequences. In the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this has meant that the fire was still not extinguished 44 days after it broke out, criticizes the state ombudsman's office, Defensoría del Pueblo.

Bolivia must urgently fulfill its obligations to protect the population, the human rights organization demands. A historic ruling by the Tribunal Agroambiental, Bolivia's state ombudsman's office, on September 8, 2025, orders immediate measures – including 48-hour reports and transparency on the use of funds in firefighting, deadlines, and transparency on the use of funds in firefighting. These orders must be implemented immediately, demands the STP. The human rights organization points out that Bolivia, as a member state of the Escazú Agreement, has committed itself to providing timely, complete, and accessible environmental information.

"Bolivia has been experiencing record fires for years. But instead of establishing structural prevention mechanisms, figures are being embellished and the crisis downplayed. Despite the upcoming runoff election on October 19, there is no sign of improvement. There are many indications that Bolivia will continue to pursue an export- and resource-oriented economic model that promotes land grabbing, forest conversion, and encroachment on protected areas and indigenous territories, while at the same time shifting responsibility to the very “illegal” actors that the system itself produces," says Königshausen.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.