South America hit by drought and wildfires
South America is facing a severe drought caused by El Niño and a forest fire crisis.
In Venezuela, more than 8,000 hotspots have been reported by Hidromet-UCV across the country, with the Venezuelan Andes being the most affected area. In neighbouring Colombia, more than 340 fires have been recorded since November 2023, and nearly 17,000 hectares have burnt.
These images acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 28 January 2023 and 27 January 2024 provide evidence of the consequences of the lack of rain affecting the area of San Fernando de Apure in Venezuela.
Copernicus Sentinel satellites provide open data which can help monitor and map the effects of droughts and wildfires, enabling better damage assessment and supporting emergency management.
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