Peru: What is the relationship between landslides and climate change?
hace 9 year
Year after year, we hear of the terrible consequences of landslides and floods, which seem to be a disease without cure. The areas most affected by these landslides suffer the destruction of homes and water shortages, and thousands of people are affected by these excessive rainfalls.
Does the intensity of the rains that cause landslides and floods have a direct relationship with climate change? William Lau, researcher and director of NASA, conducted a study in 2015 in which he stated that torrential rains grow by 7% for the increase of each degree Celsius globally.
In the case of Peru, the representative and meteorologist of the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru (Senamhi), Martin Bonshoms Calvelo, states that greenhouse gases, produced by climate change, influence the magnitude of precipitation in Lima. "The high temperature of the sea, especially in the Pacific Ocean, raises the temperature of the planet, which increases rainfall in coastal areas. An important agent of this warming occurred in 2016 with the El Niño phenomenon.", he mentions.
According to the specialist, the number of people affected by landslides and floods is increasing due to the lack of prevention and information. "Senamhi warns two days in advance about heavy rainfall in each area of Peru, but unfortunately, the media does not report it until disaster strikes.", he says.
For Bonshoms, in the case of Chosica, one of the areas most affected by landslides in Lima, there is no solution other than relocation. "If we wanted to plant trees to cushion the falling rocks, it would be a useless expense, since the area is very rocky," he says. On January 15 alone there were 15 landslides in the area, says the meteorologist.
Another factor in the terrible consequences of landslides is linked to poor urban planning. The lack of spaces for drainage, the location of constructions near rivers and the poor management of rapid escape routes throughout the country are a problem when trying to prevent the number of victims from continuing to increase, he explains.
Sources:
← Previous
Next →
