The El Niño weather phenomenon, which has brought some rain and an unexpected rise in temperatures to Peru, could put more than 1 million people at risk in regions of the country vulnerable to climate change, according to national authorities.
The head of the state's Civil Defense Institute, Luis Vazquez, said late on Wednesday that El Niño is expected to intensify starting in November, causing flooding and mudslides in towns and communities across at least 10 regions identified as likely to be hardest hit by the weather event.
“Based on historical data from all the regions that have been impacted by El Niño, approximately 1.2 million people could be affected,” Vazquez said at a press conference.
Among the regions most vulnerable to El Niño are a string of northern provinces primarily dedicated to agriculture, raising concerns about potential economic losses.
El Niño, a weather phenomenon that warms the surface of the Pacific Ocean and causes intense rains and droughts across Latin America, is already impacting Peru's fishing and agriculture.
Vazquez said that 536 "critical points," or areas of the country most vulnerable to the storm, have been identified and preventive measures are being implemented.
The impact of El Niño will not only cause rain and flooding along the country’s coast but could also bring about droughts in southern Andean regions, Vazquez said, adding that the government has declared a state of emergency in 796 districts due to the risk of rain and flooding and in 607 districts due to “water shortages.”
“The idea now is to reduce certain vulnerabilities and mitigate any potential damage,” he said.
Last week, heavy rainfall linked to El Niño caused flooding in homes in parts of the capital, Lima, and disrupted road traffic in the south of the country, leaving lines of freight trucks and passenger buses stranded, as well as disrupting access to Machu Picchu.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Anthony Marina, Writing by Iñigo Alexander: Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
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