Costa Rica raises yellow alert in 54 cantons due to the intensity of the El Niño phenomenon: drought already exceeds records from 1997 and 2015

Costa Rica is confronting one of the most severe episodes of the El Niño phenomenon in recent decades, prompting authorities to respond to intense drought conditions that have already surpassed historical records set in 1997 and 2015. On Friday, the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) announced the updating of alert levels, elevating the status to yellow alert across dozens of cantons.

The emergency measures involve updating alert levels in 71 cantons in total, with 54 cantons specifically raised to yellow alert due to the escalating intensity of the climate phenomenon. The drought's severity, exceeding previous benchmark years, highlights the growing environmental and administrative challenges facing the country as emergency management agencies monitor and respond to the crisis.