Lake Poopó — the Second Largest Lake in Bolivia — is Gone Forever
The disappearance of Lake Poopó should be a cautionary tale for other countries.
Bolivia’s Lake Poopó is No More
Where Lake Poopó once sat, the cracked lakebed is now empty and devoid of life. The area now looks significantly different than it was back in 1986 when Lake Poopó was 3,500 square km (1,400 square mi.). The disappearance of Lake Poopó impacted many people in Bolivia, as it directly affected the economy of 8 surrounding municipalities that relied on the lake.
What happened to Lake Poopó?
Regional temperatures began to rise to the point that evaporation rates began to triple. 92% of the inflow of water into Lake Poopó came from the Desaguadero River, but when the water level fell below 3,810 meters (12,500 ft.), the river could no longer compensate for the evaporation losses, in addition to water depleted from the lake for irrigation.
