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'¡Buenos Días!' from Colombia
February 10, 2012 | Garrett Bradford | Tagged as: Climate Displacement, Colombia, Americas
You're easily fooled upon arrival in Bogotá. You think, "This is it. This is Colombia." At over 9,000 feet above sea level and average temperatures of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, Colombia's capital enjoys an "eternal spring" year round. After a few days in the hospitable climate of Bogotá, I couldn't help but think: "I hope the rest of the country is like this."
The next day I found that such is not the case. For two years now, record-breaking rains have produced the worst flooding in 80 years throughout much of the country.
My colleague Alice Thomas and I are here to follow up on a previous mission to various flood-affected communities along Colombia's Caribbean coast. Alice was in Colombia a year ago to assess the situation, and now we're back to witness how (and if) people are recovering and whether the response has improved.
We are visiting communities in the La Mojana wetlands, where intense rains inundate towns twice a year; southern Cordoba department, where many inhabitants have been displaced by both conflict and massive floods; and the southern tip of Atlántico department, where a breach in the Canal del Dique filled towns with waters to the rooftops and partly submerged homes can still be found.
We are meeting with all kinds of actors: flood victims in their communities, government officials at all levels, and the various national and international organizations that have stepped in to provide assistance and lead recovery efforts. As extreme weather begins to become the new norm for these folks, we are asking all those affected - and those who have a role in the response - what they are doing to prepare for a future of severe flooding.
Follow our journey across Colombia (in car, boat, and plane) on Twitter, and see images delivered directly from the field on our photo slideshows.
