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Millions of people in Colombia have been hit by water restrictions in communities near the capital as water levels drop.
What happened?
According to a Reuters reported on April 8, the country’s capital Bogotá receives 70% of its water from three reservoirs, which are currently at 16.9% of capacity due to El Nino weather causing extreme heat and drought by the end of 2023.
So Bogotá implemented a water restriction plan affecting nine regions and at least nine million people. Every ten days, residents of certain zones will experience water leakage for 24 hours. This cycle will repeat again. Officials will review the action plan every two weeks.
The publication quoted a statement from Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galan, who said, “Don’t waste a drop of Bogotá’s water at this time.” “That will help us so that these restrictions can be lifted or eased more quickly.”
Water reserves are said to be at their lowest levels in many years.
Why is this concerning?
Every two to seven years, El Nino, a natural weather trend, increases the likelihood of extreme weather. But man-made global warming seems to be intensifying this cycle.
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El Nino trends were mostly driven by variations in solar energy up to half a century ago. Paul Wilcox, primary author of the research published in Geophysical Research Letters, said, “Since the 1970s, we have seen clear signals that can only be attributed to the effects of human-made climate change,” as reported by the online journal Yale Environment 360. .
Severe weather-related disasters have increased displacement, skyrocketing insurance costs, and exacerbated spread of disease.
What can be done about extreme weather?
Having a go bag handy can help you weather an unexpected or severe weather event.
However, to avoid the worst long-term effects of an overheated Earth, scientists have advocated reducing the pollution that warms the world, especially by phasing out polluting energy sources such as coal, oil and gas.
One option to start enjoying the benefits of clean energy, such as reduced electricity costs and improved air quality, is to sign up for community solar. Unplugging energy vampires can reduce annual pollution by up to 800 pounds, if that’s not a viable option.
Another easy way to protect the environment and your health is to stop using single-use water bottles, as most plastics are made from petroleum-based materials such as motor oil and gasoline.
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