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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Diana Maria Contreras Mojica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
The Wayuu community constitutes about half of the population of La Guajira, Colombia. This department is a semi-desert zone. This ethnic community has always been able to cope with the water scarcity of the region. Nevertheless, the el Niño phenomenon in 2012 triggered a drought that was extended until 2016. The average rate of child mortality per municipality between 2012 and 2015 reached a point of 26.52 out of 1000. We found that there is a strong relationship between the average rate of child mortality, the amount of indigenous population, the level of illiteracy, the lack of health insurance and the number of elderly people and that these factors influence in the child mortality in an 85 percent. We want to highlight the plausible case of extinction of the Wayuu community in Colombia owing to their exposure to extreme climate phenomena, bad water management in the case study area, and socio-economic vulnerability, resulting into food insecurity and undernourishment. This paper concludes with a set of recommendations to improve the water management in the region, reduce the food insecurity and support existing and promote new strategies for adaptation.
Author(s): Contreras D, Voets A, Junghardt J, Bhamidipati S, Contreras S
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk Science
Year: 2020
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
Pages: 87-104
Online publication date: 19/02/2020
Acceptance date: 01/11/2019
Date deposited: 20/02/2020
ISSN (electronic): 2192-6395
Publisher: Springer Nature
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-020-00255-0
DOI: 10.1007/s13753-020-00255-0
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