With 237 forest fires recorded in various regions of the country in 2024, The Ombudsman highlights the importance of focusing efforts on the implementation of measures to contain environmental damage.
The main objective is to take care of the forests and safeguard the lives and integrity of the people affected by these disasters.
Given the worrying increase in events, some of them potentially destructive, so far this year, the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis, calls on territorial entities to implement preventive actions, especially those recommended by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) in its Circular 065, issued at the end of the previous year.
“The implementation of effective plans will be crucial to prevent El Niño from wreaking havoc, especially in those areas where the phenomenon is most pronounced,” highlights the Ombudsman.
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UNGRD Circular 065, issued last December, establishes guidelines for preparation and readiness for the first dry season or less rain in 2024 under the incidence of the El Niño Phenomenon 2023-2024. Camargo Assis emphasizes the need to attend to the 16 preparation and readiness guidelines contained in the circular.
With high temperatures in several regions of the country, some exceeding 37 °C, It is essential to keep alerts activated in case of possible fires in the vegetation cover. Regions such as Villavicencio, in the department of Meta, have experienced fires since the beginning of January, and the department of Santander has seen more than 300 hectares of forest affected in five municipalities.
According to the UNGRD, there are currently active fires in the departments of Boyacá, Meta, Antioquia, Vichada, Cundinamarca and Cauca. In addition, fire threats are forecast in more than 800 municipalities throughout the country.
Specialists recommend preventive measures such as avoiding unsupervised burning, not throwing combustible material on vegetation and checking wind conditions.
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