Colombia faces water rationing as reservoirs dry up
STORY: In the city of Santa Marta, Colombia, residents can be seen lining up for water from a truck.
People across the country face water rationing as reservoirs dry up.
Colombia's government has announced new measures to cut consumption as dry weather persists.
According to infrastructure operators, Colombia's reservoirs are now at 28.75% capacity.
Local media reported Wednesday that this was more than 3% below the lowest level recorded for April over the past 20 years.
Environment Minister Susana Muhamad:
“We are still influenced by high temperatures in the two oceans. The situation is unprecedented in the planet’s history and we are still affected in general by high temperatures and situations that may appear in the atmosphere.”
The El Nino phenomenon arrived in Colombia at the end of 2023, causing high temperatures and droughts that led to forest fires throughout the Andean country.
That has pushed reservoirs to their lowest levels in decades.
Jorge Escobar is an engineering professor at Javeriana University:
“Throughout this year it hasn’t rained in the mountains. The water that falls on mountains is the water cities use and generate energy. As there hasn’t been enough rain, the reservoirs have diminished until something must be done as the amount of water in the reservoirs is not enough to fulfil the cities’ demand.”
Colombia's president says it's all evidence of a climate crisis - and can't just be blamed on El Nino.
