Flooding and mudslides reveal Peru's failure to prepare for extreme weather.
| Autor | Jana, Elsa Chanduvi |
The process of reconstruction has now begun, after nearly three months of torrential rains, floods, and mudslides in both rural and urban areas of Peru left hundreds of thousands homeless and affected more than one million people.
The rain that fell in the departments of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, Loreto, Ica, Ancash, Cajamarca, La Libertad, Huancavelica and provinces of Lima had left 107 dead and 171,322 homeless as of April 15, according to data from the Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia Nacional (National Emergency Operation Center, COEN). It was also reported that 22,761 homes were damaged. The intensity of the downpours was highest in February and March.
Meanwhile, the Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones (Ministry of Transportation and Communication) reported that transit had been interrupted on 65 highways and blocked in 11 places in the north, south, and center of the country. The government reported that 170 shelters had been set up nationwide by April 18, providing refuge to 32,000 people.
The phenomenon that caused this disaster is the so-called Coastal Nino, the anomalous warming of the sea along the coast, which began in mid-January and has kept the water temperature four or five degrees Celsius above normal. Water temperatures climbed to 29 degrees Celsius in Peru, and to 28 degrees in Ecuador. Warmer sea temperatures resulted in considerable water evaporation followed by the heavy rains. The coastal winds that blow from south to north weakened during the first days of December 2016, allowing the entry of warm waters and also weakened the Humboldt Current, the cold water that runs south to north (NotiSur, Feb. 25, 1992).
Under the slogan, "A single force," the national government has responded quickly to the emergency, calling on the population to show solidarity with those most affected and declaring a state of emergency in 11 regions. The Ministry of Health declared a health emergency in nine departments--including Lima provinces, where most of the affected live. It also declared a yellow alert, pointing to a significant increase in the demand for health care, at all health facilities nationwide.
The entire government, the armed forces, business leaders, and the general public have joined forces to provide support to the homeless and others affected by the Coastal Nino. Nevertheless, emergency needs caused by the rains surpass the government's ability to respond.
Lack of prevention exacerbates problem
Pedro Ferradas...
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