The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have approved a US$400 million loan to Peru to undertake rehabilitation works after the effect El Niño weather event might cause in agriculture, houses, and roads.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri), Juan Manuel Benites, the fund will be operational as soon as El Niño passes by to start the rehabilitation process.
“Also, ministries budgets will prioritize the recovery of infrastructure and houses. We can not allow the loss of all this production capacity of Peru,” he underlined.
Speaking at the Callao Naval Base, from where the BAP Tacna ship will sail to northern Peru to assist the population, Benites recalled that El Niño cost the country almost 11 percentage points of GDP in 1982 and 1983.
“We are talking about weather events that strike very hard. However, I don’t want to give estimates because this is a hypothetical scenario. Maybe we can consider some scenarios later, as we identify what type of El Niño pattern we’re in,” he added.
Benites emphasized that northern Peru –especially Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad regions– is always the most stricken area based on lessons learned from previous natural disasters.
Meanwhile, the second group of most affected regions includes Cajamarca, Amazonas, San Martin and Ancash.
Authorities looking to implement the reservoirs whose construction is currently underway as part of this administration.
(END) LIT/LIT/RMB
Published: 8/29/2015