On January 21st, the state government of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil issued an official statement stating that due to severe drought, 118 cities in the state have declared a 180 day state of emergency. The current drought has affected most cities and rural areas in the state, with several major reservoirs in the state storing only about 5% of the total water. At present, the water conservancy, meteorological, civil defense and other departments in the state have taken response measures, including closely monitoring the water level of the reservoir and providing assistance to the affected people. The Hydrological and Meteorological Bureau of Pernambuco State stated that in the first three months of this year, most areas of the state are expected to receive lower than average precipitation than in previous years, and may experience moderate to severe drought.
Scan code to share