Government declares state of emergency in 173 municipalities in Bahia.

Reporter Sayonara Moreno - correspondent for Agência Brasil

Due to the lack of rain in much of the state of Bahia, the Bahian government published today (14), in the State Official Gazette, the state of emergency in 173 municipalities.

The decree follows a normative instruction from the Ministry of National Integration, which establishes criteria for declaring a state of emergency in cities, states, and the Federal District. After publication, the list goes to the federal level, which may provide additional assistance, including financial aid.

In the state of Bahia, the state of emergency decree in 173 municipalities is valid for 180 days because low rainfall levels have caused "serious damage to productive activities," such as agriculture and livestock farming.

In March of this year, the federal government recognized a state of emergency in more than 100 municipalities, a number that at one point exceeded 300, due to lack of rain. The measure was valid for 180 days, a period that ends this September. Some cities mentioned in the March decree continue to experience low rainfall levels.

According to meteorologist Cláudia Valéria from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet), drought in most of these municipalities is common between the months of March and November. Therefore, it is expected that rain will return to some cities by the first half of November.

"During this period [from March to November], it is more common for it to rain along the state's coastline and in cities in the Recôncavo Baiano region. But in the rest of Bahia, especially in the Central-West region, the period is truly dry, as always," he said.

The meteorologist explains that even during the rainy season between November and March, in some cities, "this year it rained less than expected, which made the situation complicated."