Bogotá, Colombia: One of the world’s highest cities starts rationing water as reservoirs fall to critical levels

Bogotà, Colombia CNN — There’s a new meme being shared widely this week across social media accounts in Colombia’s capital Bogotá, as the city grapples with a water crisis. Smiling, he says: “I saw your turn of water rationing is different from mine.” The meme reflects a sense of dark humor among some Bogotànos following the city authority’s announcement Monday that residents would have to ration water as drought, fueled by El Niño, pushes reservoirs toward record lows. The Chuza and San Rafael reservoirs, part of the Chingaza System that provides 70% of the city’s drinking water, are at particularly critical positions, according to local authorities. “Let’s not waste a drop of water in Bogotá at this time,” Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said in a news conference Monday, adding, “that will help us so that these restrictions can be lifted more quickly or reduced.” Galán called for “a behavioral change that is sustainable over time and guarantees that water is enough for everyone,” adding that some of the reservoirs are less than 20% capacity compared to historical averages for this time of year.