The Government of Pernambuco declared emergency situation in 118 municipalities of the state due to the serious lack of rain and the impacts of a prolonged drought.
The decree was published in the Official State Gazette this Tuesday (21) and signed by governor Raquel Lyra (PSDB). The measure aims to mitigate the effects of the hydrological drought on reservoirs and the water supply network, which already affects a large part of Pernambuco’s cities.
In December 2024, the government had already declared a state of alert for 94 municipalities, motivated by the same water crisis. The governor highlighted that state teams have been on alert since the beginning of the crisis to reduce the impacts of the drought, especially in cities in the Metropolitan Region and Agreste. “It is a very critical moment, of severe drought, and with this decree we will be able to further speed up relief measures for the population,” he stated.
The decree, which is valid for 180 days, is divided into two parts. The first recognizes the emergency situation in rural areas of the municipalities, while the second also covers the urban areas of some of these locations. In total, 26 municipalities have both areas covered by the decree.
Emergency actions are already being implemented with the support of several state bodies, such as the Secretariat of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento (Compesa), the Pernambucana Water and Climate Agency (Apac) and Civil Defense. The strategies involve monitoring reservoirs and springs, in addition to climate forecasting and assistance to the population.
The Goitá dam, for example, accumulates only 4.6% of its volume, and the Bita and Utinga dams, which serve the Recife Metropolitan Region, have volumes of 19% and 9.7%, respectively. The Jucazinho dam, which supplies the Agreste, is collapsing, with just 5.8% of its capacity.
The Pernambuco Water and Climate Agency (Apac) predicts below-average rainfall for the first quarter of 2025 with isolated showers in Sertão and dry periods in other regions of the state. According to the agency, the first quarter of the year will be dry for the Metropolitan Region, Zona da Mata and Agreste, with isolated rains concentrated in a few days in the Sertão.
The municipalities affected by the emergency situation include locations in different regions of the state, with emphasis on the Rural Zone and the Urban Zone.
This content was originally published in More than 100 cities enter emergency due to severe drought in Pernambuco on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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