19SEP24 #Ecuador - 'The National COE declares red alert for water deficit in 15 provinces of Ecuador
Inés Manzano, head of the National COE, says that Ecuador is experiencing anomalous weather conditions. With the declaration of red alert, resources will be requested from the Ministry of Finance.-
September 19, 2024

"The National COE declares red alert for water deficit in 15 provinces of Ecuador
Inés Manzano, head of the National COE, says that Ecuador is experiencing anomalous weather conditions. With the declaration of red alert, resources will be requested from the Ministry of Finance.
The National COE meets in Quito to take measures regarding drought and forest fires in Ecuador- PhotoCapture

After the first day of nighttime blackouts, the National COE declared a red alert in 15 provinces of Ecuador, due to the water shortage, forest fires and droughts affecting the country. The measure was announced at the ECU 911 facilities in Quito, on the night of Thursday, September 19, 2024.

With Executive Decree 401, President Daniel Noboa appointed his Minister of Environment, Inés Manzano, as his representative in the National COE , the entity responsible for coordinating actions and managing resources to address emergency situations.

Minister of Environment, Inés Manzano, is the new delegate of the National COE
The meeting was attended by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, the Secretariat of Risks, Inamhi, the Ministry of Education, the Armed Forces of Ecuador, the Quito Fire Department , among other institutions.
At 17:00, the National COE concluded its meeting in Quito and declared itself in permanent session. It was announced that commitments will be requested from the municipalities and reports from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi).

15 provinces on red alert-
On Thursday evening, at a press conference, the president of the National COE, Inés Manzano, confirmed that 15 provinces in Ecuador will be declared on red alert due to water shortage . Although 15 areas were indicated, 14 were mentioned in the report. These are:
Carchi
Loja
Pichincha
Cañar
Azuay
Bolivar
Zamora Chinchipe
Imbabura
Napo
The Gold
Saint Helena
Cotopaxi
Manabi
Orellana

Manzano added that Ecuador is experiencing anomalous weather conditions, which are affecting agriculture, water supply and hydroelectric generation. The official added that resources will be requested from the Ministry of Finance and information will be requested from the municipalities on the state of drinking water shortages in their territories.
Specifically, the head of the National COE mentioned the following:

Camilo Ponce Enriquez (Azuay)
Caluma (Bolívar)
Cumanda (Chimborazo)
Quinsaloma (The Rivers)
Gonzalo Pizarro (Sucumbios)
Putumayo (Sucumbios)
Shushufindi (Sucumbíos)
Sucumbios (Sucumbios)
Cascales (Sucumbios)
Cuyabeno (Sucumbios)
Santo Domingo (Saint Domingo of the Tsáchilas)
La Concordia (Saint Dominic of the Tsáchilas)
Agrio Lake (Sucumbios)

Manzano also added that, in coordination with Inamhi, the Ministry of Environment will lead the dissemination of climate information about the country. Also, at Thursday's session, Roberto Luque, Minister of Transport and Public Works, was appointed as Vice President of the Plenary of the National COE ; and Jorge Carrillo, National Secretary for Risk Management, was appointed as Secretary of the National COE.

"This is The worst drought in 61 years for Ecuador"
Before implementing energy rationing, the government announced that Ecuador is experiencing "the worst drought in the last 61 years." The term means that the period of reduced water availability has been prolonged. This is evidenced by the decrease in the flow of water bodies such as rivers, lakes and dams.

World Bank: Ecuador will need to invest USD 3.7 billion per year to mitigate the effects of climate change
For example, the gigantic Mazar hydroelectric dam is just a few meters away from reaching its minimum operating level which will worsen the electricity crisis in Ecuador. Once the dam reaches its minimum level, it will be paralyzed.
As if that were not enough, the country is also experiencing a severe drought . The decrease in rainfall is leading to sunnier days, with high radiation and, above all, the risk of forest fires.

More than 1,300 forest fires-
In cities like Quito and Loja, the fire has consumed several 1000 hectares of vegetation, which will take years to recover.
At a national level, fire emergencies are more worrying since, between August 23 and September 18 , "1,337 forest fires have been recorded in Ecuador , in 21 (of the 24) provinces," according to the Risk Secretariat.
Under this scenario of water shortage , the country is looking for alternatives to face the energy crisis. For now, new blackouts have been announced for Monday, September 23 thru until Thursday 26 of that week." -

https://www.primicias.ec/sociedad/coe-nacional-resoluciones-estiaje-incendios-forestales-79264/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFZ7JBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYaJdHEoDBdry1_fKaAHebamm8MkjYyKPFZ3E-5J9P-bNdl5TygpOcxr1Q_aem_8eRi62ZJnC6fZWhwzjNX_w