Drought

Tropical Wave 38 is forecast to reach Honduras on Wednesday, potentially ending a recent dry spell and bringing relief to a country facing drought conditions that have stressed water availability and crops.

The Guacerique River, fed by the Los Laureles Dam, has dwindled to barely a flow, with water levels leaving only sand and sediment where the river once ran full.

Lena Savelli, the World Food Programme's regional director, arrived in Honduras to evaluate the drought damage caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon and assess food-security needs.

Honduras's National Congress and the World Food Programme finalized a technical cooperation agreement to address severe drought affecting over 100 municipalities, targeting immediate food aid and longer-term irrigation and agricultural infrastructure.

Severe drought linked to the Super Niño climate pattern has devastated crops and livestock across Honduras's Dry Corridor in southern Francisco Morazán, Valle, and Choluteca, leaving residents facing food insecurity and accusing the government of inaction.

UMAPS, which supplies Tegucigalpa, is monitoring reservoir levels at 28.6% and 26.2% capacity and may expand water rationing over the coming days depending on rainfall and how quickly reserves continue to drop.

The World Food Programme's regional director will visit Honduras this week to meet with President Asfura and assess the impact of an El Niño-driven drought affecting 103 municipalities, particularly in the Dry Corridor, where the government has declared a water emergency.

Mayors from Lempira municipalities reported 100% crop losses from ongoing drought and traveled to Tegucigalpa seeking government relief, while the national farm federation warned Honduras should be declared in emergency.

Severe drought in southern Lempira has destroyed corn crops and dried the Chayel River after only two storms in 2026, forcing farmers to sell livestock prematurely and threatening food security across the region.

An Oxfam assessment found El Niño-driven drought wiped out maize crops for more than 70,000 farming households across Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, with 78.6% losing 75–100% of their harvest, 23,000 households losing water access, and over 6,200 migration movements recorded.

Tegucigalpa's mayor and government agencies announced accelerated work on the San José reservoir, distribution of over 7 million gallons to affected neighborhoods, rehabilitation of 15 groundwater wells, watershed protection, and price monitoring to combat water shortages affecting the capital.

As prolonged drought threatens corn and bean crops across Honduras, agricultural experts recommend farmers base planting decisions on current climate data and monitor rainfall and temperature forecasts before proceeding.

A severe drought devastating southern Honduras has destroyed crops, and farmers are pleading for rainfall in September to salvage the year's final harvest.

A severe drought in Guajiquiro, La Paz, has destroyed corn and bean crops for approximately 1,500 farming families across 44 communities, threatening food security and forcing residents to seek alternative income while the municipality requests 4.5 million lempiras monthly (about $180,000) in government assistance.

Los Laureles reservoir sits at just 32.6% capacity and could run dry by early October without September rain, while La Concepción holds enough water only until mid-to-late December, with rationing already in effect every nine days.

A severe drought in Caridad, Valle, has wiped out up to 100% of some harvests and depleted water supplies, affecting about 800 farmers, with the mayor warning that reduced local production could drive up food prices as dependence on outside sources grows.

Honduras's risk management agency forecasts the arrival of rainfall across the country starting September 5 after weeks of severe drought affecting more than 230 municipalities, as moisture from the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean moves in.

The Guacerique River, a major tributary supplying the Los Laureles Dam reservoir, has dramatically diminished due to severe drought, raising concerns about water availability for residents across the region.

President Nasry Asfura announced government funding for special geomembranes to improve water-reservoir storage in municipalities and expanded food assistance to 60,000–84,000 drought-affected families, with school meals reaching 115,000 students.

Gabriela Castellanos, executive director of the National Anti-Corruption Council, criticized the government's handling of a drought affecting dozens of Honduran municipalities, calling it "political negligence" and warning that state efforts remain insufficient for a structural crisis.

Southern Honduras's shrimp industry faces over 30% mortality and potential losses of at least $25 million due to severe drought and below-normal rainfall, with 8,000–9,000 jobs at risk in the next six to eight months.

As severe drought depletes Tegucigalpa's reservoirs, about 30% of the capital's population lacking connection to the public water system are forced to buy water from unregulated tanker vendors at prices up to 50 times higher than piped rates, straining poor households.

The Tegucigalpa municipal government extended a water emergency declaration to December 15 due to severe drought and critically low reservoir levels supplying the capital.

The Agriculture Ministry is evaluating silver iodide cloud seeding with private companies and international partners to stimulate rainfall across drought-affected areas including the dry corridor and Tegucigalpa over the next two months.

Consumer defender Adalid Irías warned that basic-basket prices could exceed L17,000 (about $680) by year-end, driven by holiday demand, drought conditions, and the broader dry corridor affecting 75 municipalities.

Seventy-five Honduran municipalities in red alert for severe drought requested early disbursement of August and September government transfers, with 63 of them already receiving early payments to address the El Niño-driven emergency.

A severe drought affecting 75 municipalities in Honduras is raising water costs, causing child hospitalizations from poor sanitation, endangering food security for 2.2 million people, and threatening to force schools into virtual education.

The mayor of San Miguelito in Francisco Morazán reports that severe drought has destroyed all crops and forced farmers to sell cattle at half their normal price, with no rain since May and water sources running dry.

After ten months of severe drought, 2,700 families in Apacilgua have lost crops and livestock, yet the Agriculture Ministry characterizes the crisis as a structural problem rather than an emergency requiring immediate aid.

Farmers and livestock producers in Yoro have lost an estimated 150 million lempiras (about $6 million) to drought, with corn crops failing, milk production down 40%, and cattle herds shrinking as pasture vanishes and rural employment collapses.