Colombia’s capital ended drought-related water rationing. Its situation is a warning to other cities
Bogota, Colombia (AP) – Located in the Andes peaks of the clouds and known for its steady rainfall, the capital of Colombia once unpopular with the scarcity of water.
But that sense of security disappeared, a relentless drought that drained Bogota’s storage rooms and created historic lows that forced authorities to ration water for the first time in more than 40 years ago.
Every nine days, the city has more than 8 million people and 11 surrounding municipalities closed for 24 hours. Households and businesses are forced to adapt by storing water ahead of time and reducing daily consumption.
Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan announced Friday that the rationing would end on Saturday, declaring that the crisis has been resolved, thanks to improved rainfall, effective protection efforts and an expansion of treatment to alleviate the demand for reservoirs, which has lowered the trough last year.
“We knew it was a very difficult year, it was very complicated for everyone, and it affected the quality of life for local residents,” Garland said.
The year-long rationing is a clear reminder of how climate extremes reshape urban life – and a warning to other cities facing an increasing number of cities amid rising global temperatures.
“I have never experienced anything like this in my 60 years,” said Lidia Rodríguez, a resident of Bogota. “It feels like a punishment. We just hope it ends.”
Bogota’s experience is not unique. In Brazil, Sao Paulo has taken huge savings due to the drought, and Cape Town in South Africa has also taken huge savings, which has completely almost exhausted water as the drought began in 2015.
“In the past 50 to 100 years, many big cities around the world have been growing rapidly or rapidly and have adopted all the simple water sources they can be,” said Gregory Pierce, director of the Human Water Rights Solutions Laboratory at UCLA.
“Now, the ability to go out and get new sources is not that common. Of course, our climate change makes it harder,” he told the Associated Press.
Experts say that drought-induced water scarcity may be exacerbated unless cities adopt “soft” solutions, such as sustainable water practices, and long-term infrastructure investments.
“This scarcity may be exacerbated in the future, which may intensify in the future, with no significant change,” said Charles Wight, research director at the UK nonprofit Water Dimess.
Rodríguez responded to this urgency by saying “You can have no electricity, but not water.” She now collects rainwater or buys bottled water for cooking and bathing.
Unlike energy that can be obtained from solar or wind, alternatives to water are limited. Pierce believes that the first step is to reduce demand.
“Water rationing and this practical fear of water supply, in many major cities in the north and south, is more like a new phenomenon,” he said. It requires a top-down approach to get people to protect or force them to do so.
In Bogota, officials promoted protection through public messages. The mayor encouraged residents to “shower together” in a famous call to save water.
The city is still studying its groundwater potential, and until now, it has relied almost exclusively on stormwater supply reservoirs.
“Bogota must expect the frequency of extreme droughts to double and multiply its intensity by three,” said Christopher Gasson, head of global water intelligence, who provides business information to the aquatic industry.
“In fact, it’s almost impossible for the city to manage water supply without a lot of investment,” he said.
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