Where else in the Americas are severe effects felt?
Best known, of course, are the coastal regions of Ecuador and northern Peru, where so much rain falls that flooding, landslides, erosion and consequent property destruction reach disastrous proportions. The moisture causes explosive infestations of insects and associated problems with public hygiene that favor the development of water-born and mosquito-vectored diseases (cholera, malaria, dengue, etc.). In the deserts of Peru and Chile, entire “pampas” bloom with flowers where nothing but a barren expanse is normally found. In the far north of Peru, shallow lakes appear on the desert, with ecologies of plants and fishes that temporarily sustain migrant human populations. Farther south, both Chile and Argentina, and even southern Brazil, experience severe storms during the austral winter (June-August). Northeastern Brazil goes through severe drought in March-May, with consequences for its agriculture. Dry conditions over much of Central America and northern South America also affect agr
