Wildfires and the El Niño Phenomenon: The Worst is Yet to Come

Wildfires are ravaging Colombia! For more than three weeks, flames have spread across miles, dangerously affecting ecosystems, crops, and homes in rural areas. The department of Tolima is particularly hard hit. Envol Vert is already warning that El Niño will worsen the wildfire crisis in the coming months. The association calls on the national and regional authorities to urgently scale up their response.

As of this publication, numerous fire fronts remain active across the country. The situation is particularly severe in Tolima, but several fire fronts have also been identified in Nariño, the Cauca Valley, Huila, and many other regions.

In the department of Tolima, more than 51,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed by flames, according to Portafolio. This is only the beginning of the fire season, which will be severely exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. In this context, Envol Vert issues an urgent appeal to the National Government and local autonomous corporations to step up the implementation of measures to tackle these events and anticipate future environmental, social, and economic disasters.

According to the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Tolima (Cortolima), affected areas mostly consist of cropland and pastures, as well as stubble, grasslands, open pastures, and shrublands. Envol Vert expresses its deep solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy, which jeopardizes their livelihoods and damages their living environment.

The fires do not only strike the agricultural economy and the livelihoods of peasant families. One of the country’s most vulnerable and threatened ecosystems is also under attack. Dry tropical gallery and riparian forests have been impacted, with at least 2,161 hectares damaged. The dry tropical forest, which retains only 8% of its original coverage, is home to numerous endemic species—notably the cotton-top tamarin (Oedipomidas oedipus), currently critically endangered.

For over 10 years, Envol Vert has been committed to preserving the dry tropical forest by supporting community conservation initiatives locally. From this work stems a deep conviction: every single hectare of dry tropical forest matters to prevent the extinction of hundreds of endemic species linked to this ecosystem.

Envol Vert expresses its support for everyone actively working to contain the fires, whether public institutions, prefectures, or civil society volunteer groups. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is only just beginning and will intensify.

El Niño was described by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) as one of the most intense fire periods recorded since 1950. It will reach its peak in Colombia between November 2026 and February 2027. Fire risks will intensify by lowering groundwater levels, reducing rainfall, drying out soil and vegetation, and driving up temperatures.

The phenomenon is already underway: according to Cortolima, between August 1 and August 20, the department of Tolima recorded only 16.7 mm of rain. The historical average for the same period is 42.9 mm—meaning only 39% of expected rainfall was received.
El Niño is not a new phenomenon, but it is exacerbated by human-induced climate change. According to reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activity increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) is currently devoting a large portion of its operational capacity to assisting victims of the August 10, 2026 earthquake. This underlines the severity of the situation and reduces the resources available to tackle both emergency situations simultaneously.

Envol Vert commends the efforts already deployed by the various stakeholders involved: the national government, local authorities, firefighters, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), prefectures, and civil defense.
To contain the fires, it urgently calls for strengthening their intervention through the following measures:

The government can count on the action of civil society and non-governmental organizations that have been working in Colombia for decades to conserve its ecosystems.

Taking action today means protecting the future of all Colombians!