Stormwater Management, Bolivia

The City of La Paz is constructed on extreme slopes and has an undersized drainage system. A rainfall plus hail event in February 2002, with 41 mm of precipitation during 60 minutes, clogged many of the stormwater inlets and produced super-critical flows along streets and major stormwater channels. Approximately 70 persons were drowned during this event. The firm prepared the stormwater management plan for central La Paz, which included: topographic survey, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, physical modeling of non-standard structures, prioritization of recommended improvements based on risk assessment, and civil design of the phase-1 works.