‘We need water!’

Ein Bauer mit seiner Frau, die ein Kind auf dem Arm hält — Benjamin Vargas, farmer from Tiquipaya (Cochabamba): “The question of water is one of life and death.” swissinfo.ch

farmer looking at sprinklers — Thanks to a new sprinkler system, Benjamin Vargas has enough water. swissinfo.ch

Woman with bucket — Maria Florentina Arevalo, farmer in Cochabamba: “The drought is killing our plants. We need water!” swissinfo.ch

Mountain reservoir — Water basin in Tiquipaya (Cochabamba) swissinfo.ch

Two men on a wall over a river — The fortification along the banks of the River Rocha in Cochabamba is designed to prevent flooding during the rainy season. swissinfo.ch

Man, woman, child — Stay in the countryside with the family, or move to the city? For the younger generations, climate change raises existential questions. swissinfo.ch

Ein Fluss — The River Caine during the dry period. During the rainy season, the water can flood the entire valley floor. swissinfo.ch

a dirty river — Water scarcity is not the only problem. For irrigation, the farmers of Cochabamba use the badly polluted water of the River Rocha. swissinfo.ch

Older woman with hat — Pastora Vargas: “We don’t know the consequences of using polluted river water for our crops.” swissinfo.ch

Woman with basket of bulbs — Because of the drought, some farming communities are planting tumbo (passiflora mollisima), a plant that needs little water. swissinfo.ch

vegetable patch and school — The Charcas technical college in Toro Toro (Potosi) is experimenting with plants that are more resistant to climatic stress. swissinfo.ch

dried up head of lettuce — Frost and a lack of water have damaged the crops in Cochabamba. swissinfo.ch

Dry landscape with few trees — Subsistence farming is the norm for Bolivian farmers, who produce mainly for self-sufficiency. swissinfo.ch

Woman in a flower field — Thanks to new irrigation techniques, Judith Gonzales has expanded her output to include flowers. swissinfo.ch

Herd of alpacas — Alpacas, some of Bolivia’s most important livestock, are adapted to the harsh climate of the Andes. swissinfo.ch

a cityscape — Farmers who leave the poor villages of the plateau look for new opportunities in the Bolivian capital, La Paz (pictured), or in the satellite city of El Alto. swissinfo.ch

Water is an increasingly scarce resource in Bolivia. Switzerland supports rural communities with climate adaptation strategies. Resistant plant varieties, reservoirs and flood protection areas should help the Andean population.

This content was published on September 26, 2018 - 09:00

I cover climate change and energy through reportages, articles, interviews and in-depth reports. I am interested in the impacts of global warming on everyday life and solutions for an emission-free planet. Passionate about travel and discovery, I studied biology and other natural sciences. I have been a journalist for SWI swissinfo.ch for more than 20 years.

This report was produced as part of En Quête d’AilleursExternal link (Looking Beyond), an exchange programme between journalists from Switzerland and developing countries.

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.