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LIMA, Aug 27 (Reuters) – The El Ni\u00f1o weather phenomenon, which has brought some rain and an unexpected rise in temperatures to Peru, could \u200cput more than 1 million people at risk in regions of the \u200ccountry vulnerable to climate change, according to national authorities.<\/p>\n
The head of the state’s Civil Defense Institute, Luis \u200bVazquez, said late on Wednesday that El Ni\u00f1o is expected to intensify starting in November, causing flooding and mudslides in towns and communities across at least 10 regions identified as likely to be hardest hit by the weather event.<\/p>\n
“Based on historical data \u200cfrom all the regions that \u2060have been impacted by El Ni\u00f1o, approximately 1.2 million people could be affected,” Vazquez said at a press conference.<\/p>\n
Among the regions \u2060most vulnerable to El Ni\u00f1o are a string of northern provinces primarily dedicated to agriculture, raising concerns about potential economic losses.<\/p>\n
El Ni\u00f1o, a weather phenomenon that warms the surface \u200bof the \u200bPacific Ocean and causes intense rains and \u200bdroughts across Latin America, is \u200calready impacting Peru’s fishing and agriculture.<\/p>\n
Vazquez said that 536 “critical points,” or areas of the country most vulnerable to the storm, have been identified and preventive measures are being implemented.<\/p>\n
The impact of El Ni\u00f1o will not only cause rain and flooding along the country’s coast but could also bring about droughts in southern Andean regions, Vazquez \u200csaid, adding that the government has declared a \u200bstate of emergency in 796 districts due to \u200bthe risk of rain and \u200bflooding and in 607 districts due to “water shortages.”<\/p>\n
“The idea now is \u200cto reduce certain vulnerabilities and mitigate \u200bany potential damage,” he \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n
Last week, heavy rainfall linked to El Ni\u00f1o caused flooding in homes in parts of the capital, Lima, and disrupted road traffic in the \u200bsouth of the country, leaving \u200clines of freight trucks and passenger buses stranded, as well as disrupting \u200baccess to Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Anthony Marina, Writing \u200bby I\u00f1igo Alexander: Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n