- Title: Chile withers as 70% of country stricken by drought
- Date: 17th September 2019
- Summary: RUNGE, CHACABUCO PROVINCE, CHILE (SEPTEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) COUNTRYSIDE WITH DRY RIVER BED DRY RESERVOIR WATER MARKS SEEN ON STRUCTURE IN DRY RESERVOIR HORSES GRAZING IN DRY RESERVOIR VARIOUS, DRY CREEK BED (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SECRETARY OF POTABLE WATER FOR RUNGE, SABINA MARTINEZ, SAYING: "This year has been too dry, too dry, You can see it really hasn't rained at all. And, this affects all of us because the summer is coming, the summer is when you need more water, we won't be able to enjoy the water. It's a big problem, that's the truth, a big problem." WATER PUMP WITH NO WATER IN ITS RESERVE BIRD ON ELECTRIC POLE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SECRETARY OF POTABLE WATER FOR RUNGE, SABINA MARTINEZ, SAYING: "People sometimes don't understand that we try to keep water from running out, but that's impossible sometimes, because this (drought) is throughout Chile, not just in Runge."
- Embargoed: 1st October 2019 20:20
- Keywords: rain water lack animals dry drought Chile environment climate change scarcity
- Location: SANTIAGO, RUNGE, CHACABUCO PROVINCE, ILLAPEL, CHOAPA PROVINCE, SAN NICOLAS, NUBLE PROVINCE, & ACULEO, MAIPO PROVINCE, CHILE
- City: SANTIAGO, RUNGE, CHACABUCO PROVINCE, ILLAPEL, CHOAPA PROVINCE, SAN NICOLAS, NUBLE PROVINCE, & ACULEO, MAIPO PROVINCE, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: Environment,Precipitation
- Reuters ID: LVA001AX1S9JB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chile is drying up and the problem is getting worse. A drought currently affects over 70% of the country according to the country's climate change office and the previous decade has been the driest on record.
Sabina Martinez is the local secretary for potable water of the municipality of Runge, a rural area some 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the capital, Santiago. She says it has barely rained at all this year, the town's reservoir is dry, and the summer - with its higher level of water usage - hasn't even begun yet.
Runge's human population isn't alone in feeling the effects of the drought, and a program is underway to transport over 3,000 domestic animals from the area around Runge 400 kilometers (248 miles) south to an area that isn't quite so parched.
Estefania Gonzalez of Greenpeace Chile says the government should enact policies to both combat climate change and regulate the use and abuse of local water.
Gonzalez notes that Chile will be in the spotlight on climate change given it will host the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP25, in Santiago, from December 02 to 13 this year.
(Production: Jorge Vega) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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