South America remains dry and burning
The fires that have been registered in Colombia during this month have burned more than 44,000 hectares of forests, pastures, and crops, according to information provided yesterday by competent authorities. An unbearable drought, together with red-hot temperatures, have kept firefighters and authorities in 12 Colombian departments in a state of alarm. During this week alone, around 7,240 were razed by the flames, with the department of Tolima as the most active, followed by Nariño and the violent Valle del Cauca. Bogotá has deployed five aircraft to deal with a problem that also affects animals and crops.
Meanwhile, in Paraguay, the communities of El Chaco have been “dry” during the second and third quarters of this year, a phenomenon that has been accompanied by the corresponding forest fires. According to this EFE report, just one fire that broke out at the beginning of the month in a border area with Bolivia charred around 190,000 hectares. “Day by day, I am the cloth of tears for many indigenous people who come to our parish asking for water, and that hurts a lot,” laments a priest.
In Brazil, the Amazon rainforest “cries without tears”, with rivers at historic lows. Associated Press reports a reduction of 14 meters in three months in the depth of the Black River, the sixth largest in the world and a key tributary of the Amazon. There is little fishing, a critical productive activity in the communities along the river, which is driving up prices.
Authorities declared an emergency due to the drought affecting the Black River (source).In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the 7 million hectares devoured by the fires raging the region for months could be “the biggest environmental disaster” in its history. Authorities are demanding more support from the population and the international community as they face 45 active fires, with more than 4,100 families affected and some 1,000 people displaced. In general, forest fires there are usually associated with controlled burning by farmers to expand the area for planting or grazing.
México
In Mexico, authorities now speak of 16 dead following the passage of Hurricane John through the states of Guerrero—the hardest hit—and Oaxaca. Three Chinese employees of a mining company are among the latest reported victims. The city of Acapulco has once again been battered by a meteorological event almost a year after being hit hard by Hurricane Otis. This time, fortunately, no regrettable events such as the looting of supermarkets, now guarded by the National Guard, have been reported. Flooding reached up to two meters in one of the neighborhoods of the popular tourist destination.
🚨 Acapulco is facing a severe emergency due to Tropical Storm John, which has brought historic torrential rain for the past five days, leaving the entire city, including the Diamond Zone, metropolitan, rural, upper, and western areas, submerged in water.pic.twitter.com/XD1JXiKFOZ
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) September 27, 2024
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
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