Colombia’s government has reserved $4.2 million (COP13 billion) to fight forest fires and drought that have hit the country as a consequence of the “El Niño” weather phenomenon.
According to the government, more than half of the budget is to deliver potable water to areas in the north and west that have been hit by unprecedented periods of drought.
The remainder of the budget is for the country’s numerous fire departments that have had difficulty controlling forest fires that emerged as a consequence of the drought.
Colombia’s Agriculture on Monday announced he’s be visiting 10 of Colombia’s 32 provinces to personally see how the drought situation is and how authorities are dealing with the consequences.
El Niño is a natural weather phenomenon that brings warm waters from the Pacific to the west coast of the Americas.
The extremity of the phenomenon this year has already resulted in water rationing in Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, and other municipalities.