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Causes and consequences of the extraordinary rainfall of 2017 on the Ecuadorian coast: The case of the province of Manabí

Abstract:

Extraordinary rainfall events are the object of research in different parts of the world, where their occurrence has caused negative socioenvironmental impacts, expressed in substantial human and material losses. The objective of this work is to analyze the causes and consequences of the extraordinary rains registered in Manabí in February and March 2017, emphasizing its social, economic and environmental effects. It is assumed that these events are closely related to the anomalies of sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Field research was conducted by analyzing sea surface temperature (SST) data in satellite imagery using the Split Night Multi Channel Sea Surface Temperature algorithm to identify thermal anomalies. With the precipitation records of meteorological stations of the Ecuadorian coastal region, a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to determine the annual behavior (regime) and historical rainfall. Socioeconomic impacts were studied from unstructured interviews with key informants, through non-probability sampling, as well as primary information from government agencies. The results indicate that the extraordinary rains observed during the February-March 2017 period were a consequence of the combination of factors such as positive thermal anomalies in the equatorial Pacific, intertropical convergence and atmospheric instability in the Amazon. This generated negative impacts in urban and rural localities such as Manta, Portoviejo, Lodana, Calceta and Chone.