Against forecasts of droughts more frequent in Puerto Rico due to the climate changecitizen contribution is important to detect the first signs of lack of water and take action to mitigate its effects, the hydrologist stated on Wednesday. Odalys Martínez Sánchezof the National Weather Service.
“When it is a hurricane, when it is a trough, you can see that conglomerate of clouds that is reaching our area. But, when it is a drought, it is a slower process. Many times, we process that we are in a drought process when the lake is completely dry and that is when everything is already consummated, when the drought is at its peak.”explained the scientist, during the virtual seminar “Rain in Puerto Rico and global water security in the face of the climate crisis,” which was offered by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, in English).
From noticing less rain in the area and observing yellowing grass to seeing cracked earth or dry river flow, the signs of drought can be varied and complex to detect, since it is a slow process. However, Reporting impacts helps the scientific community have a clearer picture of the effects of climate change..
Martínez Sánchez recommended using the platform Submit and view Condition Monitoring Observer Reportsto share these changes due to dry weather in community and domestic spaces.
“Any citizen can enter this page and report how this dry period is making changes in their area. For example, maybe I haven't seen rain in the last few weeks; I am already seeing that the soil in my house, my plants, are being affected… you can report that. “It helps us a lot”he pointed out.
“We can be here in the office, in the metropolitan area, we have radar estimates, we can do the calculations, we can be seeing images of vegetation, soil humidity. But those who can really tell us what is happening are the people who are in the field,” he added.
In fact, the hydrologist explained that The forecasts agree not only that Puerto Rico will have longer and more intense periods of drought, but that the amount of precipitation received each year will be reduced.. However, there are discrepancies in the level of shrinkage. For example, some models talk about a 50% reduction and others, 10% to 15%.
Despite the differences in the forecasts, there is consensus that “we are seeing a reduction in rain,” stated the specialist, who highlighted that precipitation events tend to be, in turn, more intense because they arrive at the same time.
These changes in rainfall and drought patterns are caused by climate change. “With climate change, you can have temperatures increasing in some places, while perhaps decreasing in others; In some, rain increases and in others, it decreases. In the case of us, the climate change that we should see is that we are moving to see more recurrent droughts”he indicated.
Martínez Sánchez clarified, however, that Not all parts of Puerto Rico are affected in the same way. For example, in recent years, the area most affected by droughts is the east.
“We have noticed that, in recent years, when tropical waves arrive, vigorous tropical waves take longer to arrive and leave us with good rain. So that's when these rainfall deficits start to accumulate. Eastern Puerto Rico depends a lot on that type of rain, which is tropical waves. In western Puerto Rico, no. In the west, most of the rain that is collected in that area is local effects, it is rain that develops,” he added.
Given that periods of drought will worsen over time and precipitation will be reduced, Martínez Sánchez was emphatic that The use of the water resource must be moderate and conscious throughout the year and not exclusively when there is a shortage..
“In terms of what it means to take action, one can always conserve the water resource, but it is also important to report impacts. (…) The more data “We have, we can have better information and prepare better.”he pointed out.
According to him latest report From the United States Drought Monitor, published on April 11, 21.83% of Puerto Rico's territory is under abnormally dry conditions. Of that total, 6.63% exhibit moderate drought conditions. The estimated population in drought areas is 251,524 people.