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The full onset of the La Niña phenomenon in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean, along with the start of the hurricane season, marks an intense rainfall activity that has already created the first emergency in Barranquilla and the department.
The alarm has been sounded due to the risks expected due to severe weather phenomena that threaten the coastal sectors. As for the specific situation in the Atlantic region, Governor Verano chaired a meeting this weekend with Carlos Carrillo, director of the National Risk and Disaster Management Department, who decided to prioritize eight municipalities for emergency response.
According to the meeting’s results, an investment of P65 billion is needed to cope with the damage and prevent future disasters in the municipalities of Manati, Uciacuri, Juan de Acosta, Reperón, Caracoli, Tubala, Soledad and Malambo, which are caused by landslides, erosion and structural failures of infrastructure.
However, there are other cities that are in urgent need of national and sectoral attention and help, such as Campo de la Cruz in the southern Atlantic Ocean, which was declared a public disaster after 10 communities suffered flooding and crop losses.
We welcome the plans and diagnostics by sectoral and national authorities to identify critical points and the investments needed, but at the same time, the intensity of the rainfall requires clear and timely action to prevent natural disasters from taking the lead in causing severe damage and avoidable tragedies.
The plans currently being developed include humanitarian assistance, operating hours for yellow machinery and identifying risk mitigation projects.
Attention to sudden events such as heavy rains cannot wait, let alone wait. In areas where rainfall traditionally causes floods and landslides, history repeats itself again and again as prevention always gives way to the urgency of responding to disasters immediately.
Colombia must somehow put the prevention of natural disasters at the forefront and investments in preventing tragedies at the top of the budgets of the national, departmental and municipal administrations.
Unfortunately for people affected by natural disasters in the country, attention to their needs is always marred by corruption scandals, as funds that should have been allocated for relocation, reconstruction and the provision of humanitarian aid end up in the pockets of contractors and public officials.
So much so that in recent months the highest entities responsible for preventing and responding to emergencies in the country have focused on uncovering scandals instead of thinking about how to prevent “La Niña” from ultimately playing with the fate of thousands of people at risk due to a climate phenomenon that has the potential to cause massive material and even non-human losses.
The climate crisis is growing in severity, as are its consequences, so its attention and preventive actions must be prominent on the agenda of governments and all relevant institutions.
At the same time, citizens should listen to the advice and take precautionary measures, such as reinforcing roofs and house structures, not littering on the roads to avoid clogging grilles and pipes, not being located in high-risk areas, etc. Preventive.
Mayors and provinces will take timely risk mitigation actions and monitor the flow and water levels of rivers and water bodies to prevent any emergency situations.
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