Argentine government declares emergency against forest fires | News
The Government of Argentina declared this Wednesday the igneous emergency throughout the territory for one year to adopt the necessary measures to “promote and address imminently” the fight against forest, rural or grassland fires, restoration of affected areas and prevention of new outbreaks.
Intense heat waves expected in South American countries
This measure will also allow the creation of a working group that will be chaired by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and will conform with the parties involved to coordinate “the adoption of the measures and actions that are necessary to attend the emergency,” says the statement from the Government.
Recently, the Federal Council for the Environment (Cofema) declared the igneous emergency and included the representation of all the provinces together with the Nation’s environmental portfolio.
“By virtue of the risk of overcoming the response capacity of the media engaged in fighting the fire, the criticality of the situation and the imminent danger of an environmental catastrophe, it becomes necessary, imperative and convenient to proceed to declare the Igneous Emergency in all the national territory ”, reflects the decree published in the Official Gazette.
The declaration will seek to adopt urgent measures and summon provincial agencies and authorities to deal with the fires and activate restoration plans in the affected areas.
In addition, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers may restructure, modify or reallocate budget items to strengthen the capacity of the State to respond to this emergency.
Argentina has three active fires in the province of San Luis, located in the center; Buenos Aires, located to the east; in Formosa, to the northeast and another in Río Negro, located to the south.
A heat wave is forecast this week that may aggravate drought conditions and increase the likelihood of fires.
– Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (@AmbienteNacion)
January 11, 2022
According to these data from the Ministry of the Environment, the northeastern province of Catamarca also has one contained and another controlled in Santa Fe, located to the east; another in Tierra del Fuego, to the south of the country and in Neuquén to the south, and another in Salta, a region in northern Argentina.
The South American nation is experiencing intense heat waves in its summer season with temperatures of 42.5 degrees Celsius in Córdoba, historical records for electricity consumption and electricity cuts. The City of Buenos Aires reached 41.1 degrees this Tuesday, surpassing the highest figure of 1906.