Bolivia declares emergency over drought and floods linked to super El Niño
President Rodrigo Paz announced the measure in an address; government will be able to expand funds and mobilize rescue teams.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency in the country on Saturday (31) to deal with intense droughts and floods associated with the super El Niño, g1 reported.
With the measure, the government will be able to expand available financial resources and mobilize rescue teams to the regions hardest hit by extreme weather events. In an address to the nation, Paz said the administration had done "an enormous job" to keep the phenomenon's effects as small as possible.
El Niño is a natural phenomenon characterized by abnormal warming of the surface waters of the Equatorial Pacific. It alters winds and the distribution of moisture, changing rainfall patterns and temperatures in various parts of the planet.
In Brazil, the effects vary by region. In general, the phenomenon favors heavier rains in the South and drought in parts of the North and Northeast, in addition to contributing to higher temperatures.
The term super El Niño describes especially intense episodes, in which Pacific warming reaches high levels. These events occur irregularly, generally every two to seven years, and can last several months.