President Gustavo Petro issued a serious warning about the imminent water shortage in Bogotá, capital of Colombia, where water rationing has already been implemented since April of this year.
During his speech from the Larandia Military Fort, in Caquetá, the president pointed out that, if urgent measures are not taken, the city could face an unprecedented crisis in March 2025, when the reservoirs that supply the city could run out of water.
“The reservoir where Bogotá’s drinking water comes from is perhaps going to reach zero. We are very worried because once the rainy season ends, in December, we will face critical months: January, February and March. If we do not manage to alleviate this situation, we could find ourselves facing the emergency of having a city of 9 million inhabitants without water,” said Petro.
The president also described the seriousness of the climate situation and the direct relationship with the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.. He explained that the distance between the jungle and the Eastern Cordillera has increased considerably, a phenomenon that is affecting the climatic balance in the region and aggravating the water shortage in Bogotá. “Today we need the Amazon rainforest to reach the Eastern Cordillera again. There are approximately 300 kilometers that now separate the jungle from the mountain range, and it is that distance that is leaving Bogotá without water,” he said.
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President Petro has been emphatic in pointing out that uncontrolled deforestation in the south of the continent, particularly in Brazil and the Amazon basin, is generating environmental disasters that already affect Colombia. Petro recalled that, in recent months, vast areas of the Amazon rainforest have been consumed by fires, which has contributed to the desertification of areas that were previously considered great sources of water.
«The once navigable and powerful Amazon River has today become a desert. Communities in southern Colombia walk along the dry bed of what was one of the largest rivers in the world, searching for water wells«said Petro, highlighting the urgency of restoring and protecting the Amazon rainforest to mitigate the consequences of the climate crisis.
Measures to face the emergency
In response to this emergency, the president called on both the military and the inhabitants of the Caquetá region to get involved in the revitalization of the jungle. “You, the military, and the riverside community must be part of the solution. We need the jungle to recover its extension and once again be a natural barrier that maintains the climatic balance and the water supply for the country,” he stated from the military complex.
Petro also stressed that the recovery of the jungle is key not only for the water supply in Bogotá, but for the survival of humanity in the face of the effects of climate change. “We are facing the first signs of climate change that could wipe out the human species. It is necessary that we take immediate actions to prevent this reality from becoming a point of no return,” he stated.
Key meeting at the Casa de Nariño
The president recalled that this situation had already been discussed in a meeting held on October 9 at the Casa de Nariño, in which the mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Fernando Galán, and several ministers participated. At that meeting, it was decided to create joint working groups between the National Government and the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá to confront the water crisis that threatens the capital.
“It is crucial that we take coordinated measures between different levels of government. This is not just a local crisis, but a national emergency that requires everyone’s efforts. The Amazon rainforest must be part of the solution, and that will only be achieved with the collaboration of all levels of power and society,” he emphasized.
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