Amidst rapidly intensifying global climate disasters, Chile has become the latest casualty. Fueled by strong winds and a heat wave, recent forest fires have killed more than a hundred people. El Niño, a cyclical climate phenomenon, created hazardous conditions prior to the fires by contributing to heat and drought, while global warming drove temperatures upward.
For years, however, Chile has been suffering from such drought, which has dried up forests and depleted water supplies. Indeed, over the past decade, almost two million hectares of land have burnt to a crisp. Confronted by one of the worst tragedies in his country’s recent history, President Gabriel Boric declared a two-day period of national mourning in February.
