RismadarVoice Reporters, August 27, 2026
The United States government has declared a drought disaster in 26 municipalities across Puerto Rico as severe water shortages and prolonged dry conditions continue to affect the U.S. Caribbean territory.
The declaration, announced on Wednesday, allows farmers and agricultural producers in the affected areas to access emergency loans to help them recover from losses caused by the drought.
More than 33 per cent of Puerto Rico is currently experiencing extreme drought, while another 30 per cent is under severe drought conditions.
July was recorded as the driest month in San Juan in more than 120 years and the second-hottest month ever recorded in the Puerto Rican capital.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González said she formally requested the disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture more than two weeks ago.
“From the very beginning, we made clear the needs of our farmers,” she said.
The declaration covers municipalities including Cabo Rojo, Ponce, Yauco, Aibonito and Lares.
Puerto Rico Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez urged affected farmers to document their losses and apply for the available assistance.
“This is an important step,” Rodríguez said. “We urge all producers affected by the drought to document their losses.”
Among the farmers seeking assistance is Naia Seda, who operates a 15-acre farm where she grows avocados, plantains, lemons, cassava and other crops.
Seda said it has not rained on her farm since April, leaving the land severely cracked and her crops struggling under persistent heat.
“I’ve never seen something like this on my farm,” she said.
She said crops were withering while fruits were falling from trees before reaching maturity.
Seda also relies on an irrigation canal serving her farm and about 300 others in the southwestern municipality of Lajas. The canal previously supplied water three times a week, but authorities reduced the allocation to once a week in June.
The prolonged dry spell has forced many farmers to suspend production, with some stopping operations as early as May.
Fello Pérez, a Puerto Rico-based technical assistance provider for RAFI, said farmers involved in hydroponics and soil-based vegetable production had been particularly affected.
Fruit growers, including those producing coffee, cacao, plantains and bananas, have also suffered losses, with some fruits dropping from trees while still unripe because of insufficient water.
Livestock farmers have been affected as well, with some struggling to obtain enough feed for their animals. Pérez said some farmers had been forced to sell young bulls at heavily reduced prices, but demand remained weak because of the drought.
He said farmers had been losing money since May, with at least one reportedly returning to work as a mechanic to supplement his income.
The drought has also intensified water shortages across Puerto Rico.
Governor González declared a state of emergency in late July and activated the National Guard to help transport, distribute and purify water.
In early August, the government introduced water rationing measures in parts of San Juan and six other municipalities.
More than 180,000 customers are experiencing water cuts lasting up to 48 hours at a time under a rotating distribution schedule.
Large water trucks have been deployed to affected communities, with hospitals and homes for older residents given priority.
Meteorologists have attributed the ongoing drought partly to El Niño, a natural climate pattern associated with warming conditions. The dry spell has also affected the neighbouring U.S. Virgin Islands, where the U.S. government declared a drought disaster earlier in August for St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
Beyond the drought, Puerto Rico is also dealing with longstanding problems linked to deteriorating water infrastructure.
Thousands of residents had already been experiencing water shortages and fluctuating water pressure for months before the current drought intensified.
The infrastructure problems prompted San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero to sue the Puerto Rico Water and Sewer Authority in May.
The governor has acknowledged that the island’s water infrastructure has suffered from decades of inadequate investment and maintenance.
Puerto Rico has faced similar water crises in the past, including rationing measures in 2020 and 2015. During the 2015 crisis, about 400,000 utility customers reportedly received water only once every three days.
