Ecuador: El Niño flood risk prompts evacuation, dredging of Portoviejo River

Residents near the Portoviejo River in Manabí, Ecuador, evacuated for three months due to flood fears as El Niño approaches, recalling the 1997-1998 floods. Authorities are dredging 130 kilometers of the river to mitigate risk. The situation is developing, with uncertainty over the intensity of El Niño and the effectiveness of mitigation.