Peru Declares a 60-Day Emergency in 707 Districts Over an Imminent Water Shortage
LIMA - The Peruvian government published Supreme Decree No. 140-2026-PCM on Sunday, October 11, declaring a 60-day state of emergency in 707 districts across 17 regions to address an imminent water deficit ahead of the 2026-2027 rainy season. The decree authorises exceptional, technically justified measures for risk reduction, response and rehabilitation, under technical coordination and follow-up by the civil defence institute INDECI, with participation from multiple ministries and regional and local governments.
Drought and wildfire are two sides of the same coin. The national weather service Senamhi issued a red alert for October 11-16 covering nine regions, where dry air, high temperatures and strong winds make small ignitions likely to spread rapidly. The forestry service Serfor reported dozens of confirmed simultaneous fires and thousands of heat spots nationwide; Cusco region still had two active fires, with about 289 incidents recorded this year, roughly 9,000 hectares affected and five deaths.
Military personnel, firefighters, brigades and Air Force helicopters with water buckets have been deployed, but officials warn gaps in personnel and logistics could deepen impacts on agriculture, livestock and rural livelihoods. An August study by the disaster-risk centre Cenepred had already flagged 484 districts and about 2.8 million people at very high water-deficit risk.
The emergency districts are largely in the rural Andes. When the rains arrive - and whether they are sufficient - will decide whether this crisis stops at warning stage or becomes actual rationing for cities including Lima. Rainfall and fire conditions over the next 60 days are the indicators all of Peru will be watching.
Sources: Compiled from Supreme Decree No. 140-2026-PCM and Particle News' October 11, 2026 compiled report on the emergency and fire conditions.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 干旱中干裂的土地（资料图），Al Jazeera English 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0（Wikimedia Commons）
