LIMA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Peru declared Thursday a 60-day state of emergency in at least 607 districts across 16 regions due to an imminent risk of water shortages that could affect local populations and activities in the coming months.
The measure was made official through a Supreme Decree published Thursday in the official gazette El Peruano. It orders "exceptional, immediate and necessary measures and actions" to address the projected water deficit for the 2026-2027 rainy season.
The affected districts will benefit from legal measures designed to reduce the current "very high risk" and facilitate response and rehabilitation efforts in each jurisdiction under emergency status.
Regional and local governments will carry out the measures under technical coordination and monitoring of the National Institute of Civil Defense, or Indeci, with support from relevant ministries and public or private entities.
The decree said the measures must be directly linked to the emergency and may be adjusted according to needs and safety conditions during implementation.
The government based its decision on technical reports from Indeci warning of a progressive decline in river flows and a sustained reduction in reservoir levels, factors that put national water availability at risk.
The reports also cited the influence of El Nino conditions in the central equatorial Pacific, which could pose a high risk of damage to agriculture, livestock and public welfare. ■
