Drought has struck Colombia as of April 2024 following the arrival of the El Nino phenomenon at the end of 2023, resulting in scorching temperatures and forest fires nationwide. Currently, the country's capital city of Bogota has been hit hard by the natural disaster, resulting in water shortage amid extremely humid and dry conditions and lack of precipitation.
Amid the threat, local authorities implemented water rationing this week.
The drought in Colombia is part of an unprecedented series of related events in different parts of the world. In recent years, severe to extreme drought had been reported in multiple continents across the globe, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In the context of climate change, warmer temperatures have paved the way for the occurrence or intensification of drought, which is known for depleting water reservoirs.
Bogota Water Rationing
(Photo : Photo by Random Institute on Unsplash)
In recent days, Bogota authorities implemented water rationing across the Colombian capital amid water shortage caused by the ongoing drought. During its advice on United States citizens in Colombia, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota on Wednesday, April 10, stated the water conservation measure was directed by Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan amid drought conditions and low water levels.
Bogota's water service interruptions started at 8:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, April 11, which can last for a day and will be implemented by zones, according to the U.S. embassy. The announcement also noted the water interruptions will not affect hospitals, schools, and other institutions that serve vulnerable populations, as stated by the Bogota mayor's office.
The severe drought in Bogota is affecting at least 9 million people, who are forced to ration water including by taking "four-minute showers." In addition, authorities asked couples in the city to "shower together" to conserve water.
During a press conference, Mayor Galan called for everyone's cooperation which can help the restrictions to be reduced or lifted more quickly. For the meantime, Bogota officials will reassess the situation every two weeks under the indefinite rationing plan.
Also Read: Severe Drought in Panama Impacts Global Commerce as Climate Change Worsens
Global Drought Problem
Drought, as mentioned earlier, is not only occurring in a single area or region but rather in many countries globally. In a report earlier this year, the NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) revealed that dry conditions associated with the global drought has continued during February 2024 in different parts of the world as follows:
- Northern and eastern North America
- Central America
- Brazil to northern coast of South America
- Southern parts of South America
- Southern Africa
- Central to northern Africa
- Southeast Europe to Southwest Asia
- Southeast Asia to New Zealand
Like the Bogota water rationing plan, similar restrictions have been observed in different cities or provinces in other countries recently. In February, Spain's Barcelona city declared a drought emergency that included limited water consumption. In June 2023, California implemented statewide emergency water restrictions because of drought.
Related Article: Barcelona Drought Forces Water Bills to Spike by Up to 16%