Brazil is experiencing one the worst droughts ever due to a multitude of reasons- Inadequate water management, increased urbanization, deforestation and low rainfall levels during “rainy season”.
Malay Mail Online reports, Sao Paulo, the most populous city in South America, is the city worst hit by the drought. Local governments are partially to blame as officials have let pipes go without upgrades for too long. According to a recent government report, 37 per cent of the city’s tap water is lost due to leaky pipes. Rising population density and increased water consumption also placed extra pressure on already inadequate infrastructure.
An additional issue has been linked to the Brazilian drought–a dengue fever surge, according to the Brazilian Health Ministry.
Brazilian officials say the mosquito borne viral disease has increased a whopping 57% last month. In the first four weeks of the year, the South American country registered 40,196 cases of dengue, compared with 26,017 in the same period of 2014, Fox News Latino reports.
“It’s unquestionable that the drought-created water shortage increases the risk of the Aedes aegypti mosquito proliferating to the extent that people store water without protecting it”, Health Minister Arthur Chioro said.
In 2014, Brazil reported nearly 600,000 dengue fever cases, including more than 400 deaths.
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