Colombia braces for El Nino drought

World Today

Colombia has launched an emergency plan to combat severe drought throughout the country. The El Nino weather phenomenon has already ravaged several regions, killing livestock and damage to crops. CCTV America’s Michelle Begue reports from Bogota.

Colombia braces for El Nino-related drought

Colombia has launched an emergency plan to combat severe drought throughout the country. The El Nino weather phenomenon has ravaged several regions, causing the death of livestock and damage to crops. CCTV America's Michelle Begue reports from Bogota

Regions all over Colombia have been suffering due to the lack of rain in an unusually dry summer. Different states and municipalities have already declared states of emergencies. In the eastern grassland plains, a drought earlier this year — which may have been worsened by ongoing water-intense petroleum extraction activities in the region — resulted in the deaths of thousands of livestock and wildlife.

As part of a package of measures announced this week to deal with water shortages, the government said funds were in place to drill at least a dozen new water wells, send in water tanks to the most affected areas, provide helicopters to douse forest fires, as well as agricultural subsidies to farmers. A strong El Nino is already withering crops in Australia, Southeast Asia, India and Africa.