A MapAction team deployed to Bolivia on 26 January in response to the severe flooding that is affecting much of the country. A state of emergency has been declared by the government and more than 240,000 people are reported as affected. MapAction is working alongside a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team. (Picture: Reuters/Alertnet). Click here for Bolivia maps.

This mission, the first for MapAction in 2008, follows four emergency deployments in 2007. The MapAction team is working in close partnership with an information manager from UNOCHA and is producing situation maps to assist coordination of national and international response.

The MapAction team initially worked with the UN emergency coordination team in La Paz, and despatched one team member to the south-western city of Santa Cruz to produce reference and situation maps in the area that was badly affected by flooding during January. In early February, two MapAction volunteers were sent to Trinidad in northern (Beni) Bolivia, where flood waters threaten the departmental capital. At latest update (7 February) the team have mapped the locations of more than 9,000 people who have been displaced by the flood water around Trinidad, and who are now encamped on the raised dyke surrounding the town where the team are themselves based.

Click here to access maps for this emergency.

Click here to read the deployment diary.

Click here to read an article in Geomatics World that describes the experiences of one of MapAction's volunteers during the mission. (0.3MB download)