The undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Gerardo Amarilla, commented that the ministry and other institutions are expecting another climatic phenomenon that complicates agricultural production and access to water in Uruguay.

We are monitoring the situation, knowing that after the winter there will be a period without rainfalls that might turn into water stress and perhaps drought,” he said, according to the digital media Ámbito. Amarilla noted that information is being gathered on underground water reserves and the possibilities of their use.

“We have reserves. The idea is to have more information and more research to be able to know how much and how we can use it,” he explained.

He affirmed that the severe drought that affected Uruguay last year left lessons to be “better prepared for what is to come.”

According to meteorological estimates, there is a 49-percent chance that La Niña will develop between June and August, and 69-percent probability that it will be between July and September.

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