Mon Nov 18 18:25:25 UTC 2024: ## Ecuador Declares State of Emergency Amidst Record Wildfires and Severe Drought

**QUITO, Ecuador** – Ecuador has declared a 60-day state of emergency in response to devastating wildfires and a record-breaking drought that has ravaged the country for the past four months. The emergency declaration, announced Monday, will allow the government to expedite funding and deploy additional personnel to combat the blazes.

The Ecuadorian Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) cited forest fires, water shortages, and drought as the reasons for the emergency. Risk Management Secretary Jorge Carrillo highlighted the urgency of aerial support in fighting the fires due to the challenging terrain. Environment Minister Ines Manzano confirmed that the state of emergency will facilitate the mobilization of vital resources.

Currently, firefighters are battling 13 active wildfires, primarily affecting Azuay and Loja provinces in southern Ecuador. These fires have already consumed approximately 10,200 hectares of land and forest. Another nine fires have recently been extinguished. The crisis has also impacted the country’s energy supply, with daily power cuts reaching up to 14 hours due to critically low water levels in hydroelectric dams. The drought, the worst in 60 years, has been attributed to the El Niño phenomenon and climate change.

The Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) forecasts an escalation of wildfire danger to extreme levels in the affected provinces. Ecuador’s situation mirrors the widespread wildfires currently affecting other South American nations, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru, which have also experienced severe drought and record-breaking fires. NASA satellite imagery has documented vast plumes of smoke across the region. The severity of the drought and resulting wildfires underscore the urgent need for widespread action to combat climate change and its devastating impacts.

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