Colombia prepares for severe El Niño impacts with fire and water‑scarcity warnings

The Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca (CAR) warned that a strong El Niño expected in late 2026 and early 2027 could raise temperatures, cut rainfall and increase humidity loss, heightening the risk of forest fires and water shortages. CAR listed 20 municipalities in Cundinamarca and three in Boyacá – including Soacha, Guachetá, Tocaima and Ráquira – as most vulnerable and called on local governments, risk‑management agencies and communities to strengthen preventive actions.

In the southwest, the Nariño department activated its disaster‑risk contingency plan. Officials gathered departmental secretaries and key agencies to evaluate response capacity, identify high‑impact scenarios and coordinate three work lines: cooperation with ethnic communities to curb vegetation burns, creation of a technical safety committee with the environment secretariat and police, and support for the most exposed municipalities to update their emergency plans. Of the 64 municipalities, 38 have formal agreements with volunteer fire brigades. Authorities urged citizens to avoid open burning and to conserve water.