Typically, the rainy season in Colombia begins in August, but this year some areas of the country were hit by heavy rains as early as late March and early April. Between 1998 and 2020, climate change-related natural disasters killed 312,000 people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, more than 277 million people were affected to some extent.
In the first week of April, heavy rains in cities on Brazil’s southern coast and in the Baixada Fluminense area of Rio de Janeiro state caused landslides that killed at least 14 people. Heavy rains in northwestern Colombia caused floods and several landslides, killing at least 12 people, Reuters news agency reported.
Heavy rains in northwestern Colombia caused floods and several landslides, killing at least 12 people.
The heaviest rains occurred in the north-west of the country, in the department of Antioquia, where on April 7, 2022, a landslide provoked by them destroyed part of the mine and the workers’ camp. There are fears that the death toll there may increase, since not all the people who worked at the mine have yet been found. Due to rising waters, about 20 families were evacuated from a neighboring village. Roads in the area are blocked by floods and landslides.
Local authorities said one person was killed in a landslide following heavy rain in the municipality of Barbosa. Around the same time, flooding was reported in the municipalities of Medellin and Bella, where houses were damaged and a total of about 300 people were affected. Flooding was also reported in the municipality of La Pintada after the Cauca River overflowed its banks.
The Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has been plagued by inclement weather over the past few weeks. Landslides and floods killed about 240 people in February.
In 2020, the countries of the region recorded another record – 30 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin.
In parallel with droughts and hurricanes, sea levels are rising rapidly in the region, especially in the Caribbean. However, more than 27 percent of the total population lives in the coastal regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, glaciers are melting in the Andes, Chile and Argentina.
Climate change has led to extreme weather conditions that are particularly affecting South America. The continent is facing climate crisis, with deadly landslides in Brazil, forest fires in Argentina and flooding in the Amazon since the start of 2022.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change notes that global warming has led to changes in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as El Niño and La Niña. This is the name given to climate phenomena that alternately heat and cool the surface layer of water in part of the Pacific Ocean. Changing them too quickly and frequently has a negative impact on the climate, as heating and cooling water temperatures influence changes in weather conditions around the world. In addition, El Niño and La Niña have become more difficult to predict, leading to additional damage.
To stabilize the continent’s climate and prevent rising temperatures, forests play a vital role. Brazilian climate scientist Carlos Nobre noted that the Amazon rainforest stores between 150 and 200 billion tons of carbon. “If you lose a forest, carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, will enter the atmosphere. Therefore, it is very important to preserve the forest,” Nobre said.