El Niño events are marked by above-average Pacific Ocean temperatures, which cause heavy rains in some parts of the world but drought in others. Junín is one of 13 regions in Peru operating under a water emergency because of the risk of shortages. Nationally, between 2019 and 2022, 674 state of emergencies for drought were declared in dozens of districts, and 36,333 hectares of land were lost to farming.

Peru is one of the world’s main producers of avocados, mangoes, blueberries, table grapes, asparagus, and peppers – the industry generated $5.7 billion in the first eight months of 2023 despite being disrupted by the unseasonably hot temperatures caused by El Niño. But the export-focused industry hasn’t helped alleviate Peruvians’ hunger: Last year, half the population — some 16.6 million people — were food insecure, the highest rate in South America, and twice as many as before the pandemic.

Junín is one of the world’s highest regions and one of Peru’s most fertile, located in the breadbasket of the country for staples like potatoes and maize. But its high altitude also makes it more vulnerable to water scarcity. The looming drought is expected to affect nearly 850,000 people in this highland region, according to Peru's National Centre for Estimation, Prevention and Reduction of Disaster Risk, CENEPRED, and some 100,000 farmers and about 1,160 km2 of crops will be impacted as well.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com