Flooding hits Bolivia.

Bolivia has suffered an environmental shock that has destroyed some key elements of its hard-won infrastructure, and is forcing the government to lower its growth forecast for 2007. On March 3, 2007, Reuters reported that Bolivia was reducing its estimate of 7.0 percent growth in 2007 to 6.0 percent.

The problem is flooding, the worst in a quarter century. Reuters said, "The flooding, which began two months ago, has killed 35 people, affected some 350,000 others, ruined roads, bridges and homes and wiped out crops from the Andes to the Amazon lowlands."

The floods also killed over 22,000 head of cattle and ruined crops in the country's main agricultural producing region. The crop losses prompted speculation that Bolivia might be facing a food shortage.

Preliminary data indicate Bolivia grew 4.5 percent in 2006. The country's economy has grown an average of 4.0 percent each year for the past 20 years, said Reuters.