Colombian President Gustavo Petro is calling on residents to escape Bogotá this weekend, as reservoirs that have been severely affected by a drought are struggling to supply the capital city.
The leftist leader declared Friday a national civic day, giving government workers the day off and asking private companies to consider doing the same to conserve water levels in reservoirs.
“It’s not that people don’t drink water, because then we would die,” Petro said during a news conference Thursday. “But we drink it in a different place, where there is no hydrological stress.”
The president also urged residents to consider reducing the amount of electricity they use in their homes so that the country does not have to ration power in the upcoming rainy season.
A firefighter sprays water during a forest fire in El Cable Hill, near Bogotá, Colombia, on January 27. The El Niño weather pattern has been blamed for the current forest fires and drought.
Extensive beaches have formed due to the low water level in the San Rafael reservoir in La Calera, a city near Bogotá, capital of Colombia.
The lack of rain in the northern and central regions of the South American nation destroyed Bogotá reservoirs and caused forest fires in January.
The Chingaza reservoir system, the main source of water, is currently 15 percent full, the lowest level in months of drought due to the El Niño climate phenomenon.
The average water level in the country’s reservoirs has fallen below 29 percent. A drop to 27 percent could cause power outages.
Petro shared a photo of one of the capital’s main water systems and took a direct shot at climate change deniers.
‘This April 19 is a day of rebellion, of reading, of conversation with family and friends about the danger of climate change, about who causes it, about what should be done,’ Petro wrote in X.
“Tomorrow is a day of national rebellion, tomorrow we will combine the forces of life,” he added. ‘We chase away the call of death, tomorrow is the day of life on earth, my day and your day.’
A worker washes a car at an ecological car wash in Bogotá, Colombia, on April 12. Water rationing in the capital began on April 11 due to the low water level in the reservoirs that provide drinking water to the capital, a consequence of the El Niño climate phenomenon.
Aerial view of the pier of the El Guavio reservoir, one of the water sources of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, where the water level has visibly decreased due to a drought that has lasted several months due to the El Niño weather pattern.
A resident of La Calera, a city north of Bogotá, capital of Colombia, carries water to his house. The area suffers from water shortages as its main reservoirs have been compromised by the drought that has been going on for several months.
On Monday, Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán presented a plan to curb water use in the city of 8 million people and announced that households that use more than 22 cubic meters of water per month will have to pay additional fees.
Galán warned that people could receive fines of up to $300 if they wash their vehicles on the streets or carry out any other activity that is considered a waste of water.
For example, city buses are now washed once a week instead of every day. However, the interior of the buses will be cleaned daily for health reasons.
‘We have begun to reduce water consumption, but there is still a long way to go to achieve our goals,’ said Galán.
Water rationing is rare in Bogotá, a city located in a humid area of the northern Andes Mountains and surrounded by cloud forests and emerald green fields.
The Bogotá government introduced a water rationing system on April 11 that divides the city into nine zones. The water supply is cut off in each zone for 24 hours on a rotating basis.
The closure reduced the capital’s water consumption to 16.01 cubic meters per second, from 17.84 cubic meters per second.
A resident collects water from a tanker truck in La Calera, a city near Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.
The mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Galán, presented on Monday a plan to curb water use in the city of 8 million inhabitants. Residents caught washing their cars on the streets can be fined up to $300.
A restaurant cook draws water from a bucket as the kitchen remains open during a 24-hour water restriction in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia that is dealing with a drought.
Galán’s plan is for consumption to drop below 15 cubic meters per second so that the reservoirs recover.
City officials have followed the mayor’s lead in sharing tips on how to conserve water.
Some have asked residents to limit shower time to five minutes and to turn off the water when brushing their teeth.
Galán even asked neighbors to consider not showering every day if they do not have to leave the house.
“We are not only going to reduce consumption through rationing, but also by changing our behavior,” he said.