Water scarcity, climate change and Bolivia: Planning for climate uncertainties

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the critical water scarcity challenges facing El Alto and La Paz, Bolivia, driven by rapid population growth and climate change. It details the vulnerability of existing water systems to glacial melt and proposes a combination of new infrastructure, leak reduction, and integrated land-use planning to ensure water security through 2050.

• El Alto is experiencing extreme demographic pressure and poverty, which complicates water service delivery. The city's population grew by at least 30% between 2001 and 2012, and its land area expanded by 144% in the same period. A 2001 census found that 73% of the population lived in poverty, and only 35% of households had indoor piped water.
• Climate change is causing significant loss of glacial water sources, which provide between 20% and 28% of the water for La Paz and El Alto. Between 1983 and 2006, the Tuni-Condoriri glaciers lost 39% of their area. Projections suggest temperatures will rise by another two degrees by 2050, potentially leading to the complete disappearance of many small glaciers.
• Water demand is predicted to outstrip supply significantly by 2050. El Alto's population is expected to reach two million people by 2050, and average water use is projected to increase from 52 litres per person per day to 77 litres. Additionally, irrigation demand for surrounding agriculture is predicted to increase by 20% to 40% by 2050.
• Current water systems show varying levels of resilience. The El Alto system is described as having low resilience even without climate change, with projections that it would almost permanently fail to meet demand between 2011 and 2030. The Pampahasi system's reliability could drop to 74.59%, potentially failing for up to seven months a year.
• The most robust infrastructure investments vary by timeframe: up to 2030, the expansion of the Taypicacha reservoir and a new reservoir in Khotia Khota Lake are recommended. For the period up to 2050, the most effective strategy involves constructing new reservoirs in Kaluyo and Jankho Khota, while prioritizing El Alto's access to the Acachicala water system.
• Reducing water losses is identified as the most effective short-term strategy for resilience. Current losses in El Alto's system are 38%; reducing these to levels closer to industrialized countries (15%) could meet 20% of future demand. Furthermore, irrigation losses could be reduced from approximately 90% to 60% through infrastructure improvements.
• Industrial pollution in El Alto severely impacts water quality and the environment. Contaminants from tanneries, abattoirs, and textile dyes pollute the Seco, Seque, and Hernani rivers, which flow into Lake Titicaca. While a treatment plant was opened in Puchukollo in 2010, it lacks the necessary piping to connect to industrial zones.

APA

Buxton, N., Escobar, M., Purkey, D., & Lima, N. (2013). Water scarcity, climate change and Bolivia: Planning for climate uncertainties. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-Escobar-Spanish-BoliviaWaterClimate.pdf

Chicago

Buxton, Nick, Marisa Escobar, David Purkey, and Nilo Lima. Water scarcity, climate change and Bolivia: Planning for climate uncertainties. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-Escobar-Spanish-BoliviaWaterClimate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Buxton |first1=Nick |last2=Escobar |first2=Marisa |last3=Purkey |first3=David |last4=Lima |first4=Nilo |title=Water scarcity, climate change and Bolivia: Planning for climate uncertainties |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-Escobar-Spanish-BoliviaWaterClimate.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{buxton2013water, author = {Buxton, Nick and Escobar, Marisa and Purkey, David and Lima, Nilo}, title = {{Water scarcity, climate change and Bolivia: Planning for climate uncertainties}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-Escobar-Spanish-BoliviaWaterClimate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }