Ecuador declares national emergency amid wildfires, drought
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador declares national emergency amid wildfires, drought

China Daily  

Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire at El Cajas National Park, in Cuenca, Ecuador, November 17, 2024. QUITO -- Ecuador declared a 60-day national emergency to tackle wildfires, water shortages and drought afflicting the South American country, said Energy Minister Ines Manzano on Monday. Seventeen active fires and five controlled ones were reported in different parts of the country, with the southern provinces of Azuay and Loja being the hardest-hit provinces, said the minister in a press release. The National Risk Management Secretariat "is leading the coordination of resources to support the work of firefighters in both provinces," it said. Extreme drought has plunged Ecuador into an unprecedented energy crisis, forcing the government to announce large-scale power cuts since September that can last up to eight hours.

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History of this topic

In the dark: How rolling blackouts have transformed life in Ecuador
3 weeks, 2 days ago

In the dark: How rolling blackouts have transformed life in Ecuador

Al Jazeera  

Quito, Ecuador – With darkness descending on the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, 26-year-old Brandon Samueza races to send out job applications before 8pm, when the power — and his internet — go out. The cuts aim to prevent the collapse of the electrical grid, as a months-long drought dries up the rivers that power hydroelectric dams, Ecuador’s primary source of …

Ecuador declares national emergency amid wildfires, drought
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador declares national emergency amid wildfires, drought

China Daily  

Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire at El Cajas National Park, in Cuenca, Ecuador, November 17, 2024. QUITO -- Ecuador declared a 60-day national emergency to tackle wildfires, water shortages and drought afflicting the South American country, said Energy Minister Ines Manzano on Monday. Seventeen active fires and five controlled ones were reported in different parts of the country, with …

Ecuador declares 60-day state of emergency to help battle wildfires
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador declares 60-day state of emergency to help battle wildfires

Al Jazeera  

State of emergency to allow government to send more money, people to help bring blazes under control, minister says. Ecuador has declared a 60-day state of emergency as the South American country has been hit by a severe drought and record wildfires that have razed large swaths of territory over the past weeks. The Ecuadorian Secretariat for Risk Management, the …

‘The climate is crazy’: Ecuador Minister says as country faces 12-hour power cuts
3 months, 2 weeks ago

‘The climate is crazy’: Ecuador Minister says as country faces 12-hour power cuts

The Hindu  

Power cuts in Ecuador will run nationwide for 12 hours per day, up from a planned eight, the government said on Monday, citing the country's urgent energy crisis caused by the worst drought in the Andean country's recent history. Authorities last week said power cuts would take place across the country for up to eight hours per day but adverse …

Ecuador hit by nationwide blackout, leaving 17 million in the dark
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador hit by nationwide blackout, leaving 17 million in the dark

CNN  

CNN — Ecuador was hit with an hours-long nationwide blackout on Wednesday that left the South American nation’s 17 million people without power. The blackout — which affected hospitals, homes, and a major subway system — was caused by maintenance and transmission issues in the country’s electrical system, authorities said. The latest saw Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declare an energy …

Ecuador Is Literally Powerless in the Face of Drought
55 years ago

Ecuador Is Literally Powerless in the Face of Drought

Wired  

Ecuador is in trouble: Drought has shrunk its reservoirs, and its hydroelectric dams have had to power down. “Phenomena that are impacting hydropower generation, they are playing out all around the world,” says David Michel, a senior fellow in the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research nonprofit. Last year, Western …

Ecuador declares energy emergency amid severe regional drought and El Niño
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador declares energy emergency amid severe regional drought and El Niño

Al Jazeera  

Colombia has stopped electricity exports to Ecuador as both countries grapple with diminished hydroelectric reservoirs. “Today we took a strong decision – once again we had to – which is to declare an emergency in the country’s energy sector,” Noboa said. Colombia’s mining and energy minister, Andres Camacho, told reporters late on Monday that the country was addressing the drought …

Ecuador rations electricity as drought persists in the northern Andes
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Ecuador rations electricity as drought persists in the northern Andes

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador on Tuesday began to ration electricity in the country’s main cities as a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern depletes reservoirs and limits output at hydroelectric plants that produce about 75% of the nation’s power. Restaurant employees carry on with their work using manual kitchen tools due to power cuts ordered by the ministry …

Colombia calls for aid as forest fires fueled by climate change destroy more than 42,000 acres
11 months, 1 week ago

Colombia calls for aid as forest fires fueled by climate change destroy more than 42,000 acres

Salon  

Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared a national emergency last week, and has appealed for international aid, as more than 340 forest fires have destroyed over 42,000 acres across the South American nation since November. Local news outlets reported fires have broken out between the Samacá and Cucaita principalities, citing Samacá fire department authorities, who say high temperatures and strong winds …

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