Colombia’s Petro Says Bogotá Faces ‘Structural’ Water Shortage
(Bloomberg) -- President Gustavo Petro said that Bogotá is entering a “structural problem” due to water shortages that have led the capital to reinstate strict rationing.
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The Chingaza system, which includes the Chuza reservoir and is where the capital usually gets most of its water, is close to 52% of its capacity, well below a 70% goal set for the end of October. Bogotá tightened restrictions on water use in September after the lowest rainfall in more than half a century stopped reservoir levels from recovering.
“What is causing a crisis in Bogotá is a predatory development model linked to large businesses run by powerful individuals,” Petro wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.
Bogotá has been rationing water since April, with the Chingaza water system set to face its driest year ever. Droughts nationwide are also hurting the country’s electrical system, since roughly two-thirds of its energy capacity comes from hydro. For now, fossil fuel-powered plants have been called upon to boost output in an effort to conserve shrinking water reservoirs.
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