The Bolivian government is slowly expanding sewage, water, and power systems to surrounding neighborhoods. It is also in the process of fixing up many of the dilapidated buildings and paving the cobbled streets downtown and in the surrounding neighborhoods, such as the street pictured below. More high-rises and newer buildings continue to be constructed in the downtown area.

The government earmarked $601 million for public investment projects in 1998 with the majority spent on social infrastructure investment. Total public investment in 1998 rose by 11% compared to 1997. 

The main street in La Paz, the Prado, has a large divider in the middle, with flowers and trees, fountains, and other aesthetically pleasing, pedestrian- oriented facilities. This was just recently(1998) given a face-lift, when the city fixed-up the sidewalks, lights, and greenery to improve its appearance.

The power was added to La Paz after the initial establishment of the city, and the the government did not have enough money to properly install power lines underground. This resulted in the mix-matched accumulation of many power lines all hooked to single poles, as the photograph shows.

La Paz is powered primarily by hydroelectric power, produced by the Bolivian Power Company, a Canadian firm centered in the city. Bolivia has no coal, only petroleum.

There is plenty of water in La Paz, thanks to the large river that runs through the center of the city, underground. In el Centro, the downtown area, and in the Zona Sur, the wealthy suburbs, there are good water systems. However, the houses that are not legally constructed, such as most of those in el Alto, do not have running water.

The problem comes not with obtaining water for use but with getting rid of it after the water is used and has become sewage. The city lacks a good water treatment plant, so the sewage itself ends up going into the rivers. The main septic system is slowly expanding to the outer limits of the city, where waste is more often directly dumped into the water sources. The problem of water pollution will only be solved if the main system upgrades its cleaning standards.

The Choqueyapu River that runs beneath La Paz is HIGHLY polluted due to the lack of good filtering of the sewage before it is dumped into the water.

La Paz has six main hospitals and many more clinics. There is a public school system, but it is not very good because of the lack of funding and low standards for teachers. However this is changing, as the government is beginning to invest more in the school system. As a result of the poor state of the public schools, most people who can afford it attend private schools. There are many private schools that range in price from fairly cheap to expensive.

La Paz is considered one of the safest cities in South America. There is not much crime, except in some of the poor neighborhoods as a result of gang activity. And of course there are occasional break-ins of the wealthy houses.

Communications in La Paz are gearing up for the 21st Century, as cell phones have become more common than regular telephones. The city discovered that cell phones were cheaper than installing phone lines. There are also a number of internet cafes in downtown La Paz.

Link to the Plan of Action for the Sustainable Development of the Americas

Interested in the development of Latin America?  Visit the Sustainable Development Summit Page for great links to the key groups in charge of the new developments.

 Look at a Newspaper from La Paz, La Prensa - but beware, it's all in Espanol!