Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (17-23 January 2022) As of 24 January 2022 – Peru – ReliefWeb

KEY FIGURES

6K BARRELS OF OIL SPILLED IN OPEN WATERS OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF PERU

8.9M SQUARE METERS OF OCEAN AND COASTLINE AFFECTED AS OF 23 JANUARY

Sources:

Government of Peru

UN System Peru

PERU: OIL SPILL

The Government of Peru has formally declared an environmental emergency following an oil spill on 15 January at the countrys main refinery, La Pampilla. The refinery, operated by the Spanish oil giant Repsol, is located in the district of Ventanilla north of the capital Lima. Around 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled into open waters in an area rich in marine biodiversity, affecting 7.1 million m2 of ocean and 1.8 million m2 of coastline as of 23 January. The spill is causing significant environmental damage and and poses risks to the health and livelihoods of coastal populations, especially those dependent on fishing and tourism.

As ocean currents push the oil northward, the spill has now reached the neighbouring district of Ancn, two national marine reserves and the northern port of Chacn. The Ministry of Environment says the spill could result in direct and indirect losses of US$52 million for tourism-related livelihoods.

Multiple Government agencies are working together to respond to the catastrophic spill, the worst environmental disaster in Perus recent history, while Repsol says that it has deployed around 1,800 personnel to support response efforts and specialized machinery to help contain the spread. In response to a request from the Government, the UN Joint Environment Unit (JEU), a collaborative initiative of OCHA and UNEP, has deployed a team of technical experts to provide analysis, specialized technical assistance and recommendations on disaster response and coordination.

KEY FIGURES

36% OF THE CORN CROP IN ARGENTINA IN POOR OR VERY POOR CONDITION

159 MUNICIPALITIES FACE DROUGHT EMERGENCY IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

Sources:

SOUTH AMERICA: HEAT WAVE & DROUGHT

In recent weeks, countries across South America have set record-high temperatures as the region deals with a historic heat wave. Unusually warm temperatures in parts of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, largely fueled by La Nia conditions, are exacerbating protracted drought, with negative implications for agricultural production, livelihoods and food security.

In Argentina, blistering temperatures in the capital Buenos Aires, which hit 41.5C on 14 January the hottest day since 1957 overwhelmed the power grid and hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. Prolonged drought continues to severely affect the countrys staple crops nearly 36 per cent of its corn crop is in poor or very poor condition while the low level of the Paran river is hindering exports from the inland port of Rosario, where around 80 per cent of the Argentinas agricultural products are shipped from.

In neighbouring Brazil, the temperature in Bag, Rio Grande do Sul recently hit 41.7C the hottest on record since 1912 as the state faces its worst drought in nearly two decades. Nearly 160 municipalities have declared a state of emergency due to ongoing drought conditions since November 2021. Meanwhile in Uruguay, the latest heatwave comes on the heels of another which took place between December 2021 and early January 2022, triggering forest fires which scorched around 37,000 hectares of forest in the western part of the country, the worst forest devastation in Uruguays history.

See original here:

Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (17-23 January 2022) As of 24 January 2022 - Peru - ReliefWeb