It also keeps the rivers flowing so people can use the water for transportation and send food into communities.
Have you ever learned about the water cycle? Once it rains in the mountains, the water falls down the mountains into the rivers, which flow all the way out to the ocean eventually. This water is then evaporated back up into the sky due to the heat of the sun, forms clouds, and brings rain to the mountains again. This is a very important cycle in Peru because it allows people to have water to drink and grow food to eat.
Recently, we have been experiencing periods of drought and strong rains, which cause mudslides and landslides. This destroys bridges, roads and homes, making it difficult to grow crops so that we can have food in the market. Sometimes, the farmers cannot predict when the rain will come and their crops die as a result. The mountains also bring water to the jungle via rivers, and if there is not enough rain, the rivers can dry up. In the jungle, people rely on rivers for transportation and goods, so if the river tide is low, it can slow down their ability to transport or get the products that they need.
With the environmental challenges posed by global warming, a lot more communities are relying on water from deep underground wells, since the rivers are starting to dry up along the coast. Additionally, people are starting to build their homes with concrete or bricks, instead of mud bricks, due to heavy rains destroying the mud-brick homes.
