Last week, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia announced plans to declare the ongoing wildfires in the country as a natural disaster, allowing for the allocation of additional funds to combat the blazes (CNN, Reuters, AP). With soaring temperatures and the influence of the El Niño weather phenomenon, Colombia has been grappling with an alarming number of fires, with 204 fires extinguished this month alone, while 25 continue to burn (CNN). 

Nearly half of the budget allocated for addressing El Niño-related issues, including firefighting efforts, has already been exhausted (Reuters). The declaration of a natural disaster will enable resources to be redirected, such as utilizing helicopters to tackle the fires. 

This comes amid warnings from Colombia's Environment Minister about the severe risk of forest fires exacerbating deforestation. “To the extent that we know that in the coming days and weeks crisis events are going to increase, we want to make sure that we have the physical capacity to address and mitigate them,” President Petro said (AP). He has redirected funds and sought international assistance from countries like the United States, Chile, Peru, and Canada, as well as organizations like the United Nations and the European Union (CNN). 

The situation highlights the global impact of climate change, with a recent study linking it to a record drought affecting the entire Amazon basin, including Colombia, with predictions of worsening conditions in the coming year (Reuters).