Quito, March 6 (Prensa Latina) Experts from Ecuador’s National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (INAMI) warn that climate change is affecting today the recent torrential rains in the Andean country.
According to marine engineering professor Jonathan Cedeno, climate change is predisposing extreme rain events to occur because as the temperature increases, so does the water vapor in the atmosphere.
In statements to the digital portal Primicias, in this capital, Cedeño warned that the rainy season on the Ecuadorian coast and in other parts of the country will continue throughout March and April.
According to Cedenyo, the expected rains could cause soil saturation in the sloped areas and increase the level of rivers.
The expert stressed that the direct impact of climate change in the South American country is what is happening in the glaciers.
Between 1990 and 2021 – as mentioned – Ecuador lost half of the glaciers in the Andes, going from an area of 92 square kilometers to nearly 45 square kilometers.
Likewise, he showed that the Andean country already has a temperature one degree higher, based on measurements taken between 1910 and 2010.
For this reason, the expert said, heavy rains were behind a harsh winter in Ecuador, with roads turned into swimming pools, and citizens walking in knee-deep water or cars buried in the ground.
The hardest hit provinces – it revealed – were Pichincha, Chimborazo, Manabi, Azuay and El Oro, where heavy rains triggered floods and landslides.
In other cities, such as Salinas (Santa Elena), citizens confirmed that it did not rain so much in one day.
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