The Ministry of Environment delivered six recommendations addressed to governors, mayors and environmental authorities of the country, to mitigate and avoid the damage and losses that could be caused by the arrival of the ‘La Niña’ phenomenon.
The Minister of the Environment, Susana Muhamad, called on local authorities and stressed the importance of acting quickly and effectively in the event of rain emergencies.
“It is time to prepare with what we have to reduce victims, losses and damages. We invite proactive emergency action, because we have little time,” he said.
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The official urged the 835 municipalities with the highest risk of emergencies to look for alternative sources of water supply, in addition to preparing to face any eventuality.
Muhamad said that it is necessary to disseminate and socialize the mapping of risk areas with local communities.
The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) predicted that this year’s rainy season, which would begin in July, could be similar to that of the La Niña phenomenon of 2010-2011, which caused great damage throughout the country.
Muhamad highlighted the collaboration of the National Environmental System to provide knowledge of the risk. “We will be sending a circular to governors, mayors and environmental authorities. This circular will urge them to deliver to the Risk Management Councils all the zoning of the Management Plans of basins where there may be flooding points and mass removal points,” he explained.
The official recommended strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring networks and Early Warning Systems in hydrographic basins of interest. In this sense, it was suggested to carry out actions to protect strategic ecosystems, formulating action plans to reduce risk conditions.
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The entity recommended that the Municipal and Departmental Disaster Risk Management Councils monitor the state of the roads.
The importance of protecting and recovering ecosystems through rehabilitation or restoration actions was also emphasized, especially with revegetation activities of native species in forests.
Finally, the entity reaffirmed the urgency of these measures, arguing that “from the National Environmental System, which has the competence to contribute to the knowledge of the risk, “We will be sending this circular to ensure that local authorities have the information and resources necessary to act preventively.”
