Drought

Tegucigalpa's mayor said the capital faces a critical water shortage lasting up to 15 months due to 2026 being the driest year on record, and authorities are reactivating 41 wells and maintaining 12-day rationing cycles to supply neighborhoods, hospitals, and schools.

Pediatricians in public hospitals are treating children under five with marasmus and kwashiorkor, severe acute malnutrition conditions not seen at these levels in decades, a direct result of four months of extreme drought triggered by the 'super El Niño' phenomenon.

Agricultural producers say the fall planting season faces obstacles without adequate financing, crop insurance, and climate protections, with fears of reduced acreage and threats to grain supplies as drought continues to damage current crops.

The Los Laureles and La Concepción dams that supply Tegucigalpa hold just 27.48% and 24.67% of capacity respectively as of September 24, keeping water rationing in effect across the capital with service cycles reaching up to 12 days.

The government is beginning a three-month cloud-seeding operation using silver iodide to stimulate rainfall in agricultural and water-supply areas, with a Mexican company conducting up to 20 flights at a cost of roughly $600,000–$700,000.

About 1.8 million Hondurans—roughly 17% of the population—face food crisis conditions, driven by drought and crop losses in the Dry Corridor, with Francisco Morazán, Cortés, and Yoro holding the largest affected populations.

The United Nations has activated an urgent response to a prolonged drought affecting 103 municipalities across Honduras's Dry Corridor, threatening food security and agricultural production as crop losses mount.

Tegucigalpa's municipal government suspended the Capital Fest, a series of events marking the city's 448th anniversary, citing red alerts for drought and yellow alerts for heavy rain affecting the capital.

The Los Laureles reservoir serving Tegucigalpa recovered 1.22 percentage points to 25.75% capacity after weekend rains brought roughly 90,000 cubic meters of water, though officials say it remains at critically low levels requiring close monitoring.

Honduras has signed an agreement to build water-harvesting reservoirs in drought-prone agricultural areas, with technical studies identifying about 2,000 suitable sites nationwide to help farmers and ranchers cope with recurring dry periods.

Honduras's capital faces a red alert for water shortage even as heavy rains this week threaten flooding, with the mayor warning that about 90% of drainage and stream blockages stem from trash accumulation and abandoned vehicles.

About 400 farmers in Valle Department received 400,000 pounds of sorghum and corn silage from the Agriculture Ministry to feed livestock amid drought conditions, in a program costing 1.2 million lempiras (about $48,000) across nine municipalities.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina said Honduras is ready to begin cloud-seeding operations across 1.8–2 million hectares, mainly in the drought-stricken Dry Corridor, once suitable cloud formations appear and remaining equipment arrives.

President Nasry Asfura will present Honduras's prolonged drought and irregular rainfall to the UN General Assembly, highlighting humanitarian consequences including water shortages and food insecurity affecting 103 municipalities under red alert.

Tegucigalpa's mayor announced a revised water-distribution calendar due to below-normal September rainfall, and said the city will enable 15 new wells by October and continue work on the San José dam to build reserves for the dry season ahead.

A severe drought has destroyed maize and bean harvests for about 2,000 farming families in Cantarranas, Francisco Morazán, prompting the mayor to seek emergency aid from the government as farmers fear losing the fall planting season as well.

Over 37,000 families in 37 drought-affected municipalities have received humanitarian assistance, and the government is preparing well-drilling, livestock feed, agricultural incentives, and cloud-seeding as additional measures while monitoring the autumn harvest season.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina announced a cloud-seeding program using 2,000 liters of silver iodide across 20 flights to boost rainfall over roughly two million hectares affected by drought, targeting the dry corridor and reservoirs supplying Tegucigalpa.

Drought-driven scarcity is pushing up prices at the Feria del Agricultor, with broccoli, potatoes, sweet potato, and pineapple all rising while onions, tomatoes, and beets hold steady.

The Honduran government and United Nations agencies have distributed humanitarian assistance to over 37,000 families in drought-stricken municipalities, with plans to expand coverage and repeat aid in some areas depending on rainfall and harvest outcomes.

Honduras is experiencing simultaneous floods in some areas and severe drought in others, causing crop failures, water shortages, and economic hardship for farmers who have lost harvests and face difficulty repaying loans.

The Agriculture Ministry confirmed Honduras will launch an artificial rainfall-stimulation program targeting up to two million hectares affected by drought, with priority given to farmers and families in the Dry Corridor region.

Honduras's meteorologist Víctor Ortega of the national emergency agency COPECO said expected rainfall in the coming months will not be enough to replenish the country's water reservoirs, and the population must prepare for continued water rationing.

Farmers in southern Honduras who lost maize, beans, and squash to drought must now find $300–$370 per manzana (about 0.7 hectares) to replant, leaving many without resources to start again, while the UN World Food Programme — which currently covers 12,000 small producers — says it is evaluating expanding aid to more drought-affected communities.

Tegucigalpa's mayor warned that the capital's severe drought—with water deliveries now every 12 days and reservoirs at critical levels—risks triggering a public-health emergency, and officials are setting up 15 new wells and monitoring for disease outbreaks like dengue.

Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela will extend their water-rationing cycle from 9 to 12 days starting September 20 due to severely depleted reservoirs; Los Laureles dam is at 26.74% capacity and La Concepción at 25.33% amid extreme drought conditions.

Tegucigalpa's mayor announced the activation of 15 municipal wells, at a cost of 600,000 to 1.5 million lempiras ($24,000–$60,000) each, to reduce pressure on the capital's reservoirs and extend water supply to thousands of households as the city faces severe scarcity.

A six-month drought in Calpulles, Choluteca, has devastated maize and bean crops affecting about 150 farmers, leaving families without income, food, and agricultural work opportunities as they face rising food prices.

Severe drought in southern Honduras has dried wells and rivers, destroyed crops, and reduced livestock productivity; the UN World Food Programme estimates that at least 500,000 more Hondurans could face food insecurity this year due to the dry spell and El Niño effects.

A national water shortage driven by El Niño has cut rainfall in Tegucigalpa by 43%, prompting authorities to ration tap water to residents every 12 days and renew calls for dams, reforestation, and groundwater restrictions to address Honduras's chronic pattern of climate-crisis reactions.