The Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) announced on Mar. 25 that it has intervened at 39 critical points across the country over the past three months with river cleaning, desilting, and construction of riverbank defenses. These efforts are being carried out through the National Water Authority as part of ongoing measures to prevent damage from heavy rains.
The initiative is significant because it aims to reduce the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas by improving hydraulic capacity in rivers and streams. According to MIDAGRI, 12 of the identified critical points have already been completed, while work continues at another 27 locations. So far, authorities have cleared and desilted more than 20 kilometers of waterways as part of a broader goal to reach 101 kilometers by 2026.
In Lambayeque region specifically, eight high-risk sites have been prioritized for intervention. The ministry reports that projects include cleaning, desilting, and constructing defenses in sectors such as Santa Rosa 3 (Zaña), El Palmo (Nueva Arica), cerro La Virgen II (Olmos)—all now finished—as well as ongoing work at Huaca de la Cruz (Íllimo), San Juan II (Pítipo), canal Firruñaf (Pítipo), quebrada Majín (Chongoyape), canal Mochumí Viejo (Pítipo), La Colorada (Morrope), El Mirador (Chongoyape) and Chumbenique (Oyotun).
A guide channel is also being opened at Huaca de la Cruz in Íllimo to restore water flow for agricultural areas including Íllimo, Túcume, and Sasape. Similar interventions are underway in Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad, Lima, and Áncash regions. These activities form part of a national target to address 65 critical points by 2026 with an aim to protect approximately 8,000 hectares of crops and benefit more than 45,000 people.
According to MIDAGRI’s statement, these actions have been continuous since late 2024 with a focus on prevention and risk management “contributing to reducing the risk of overflows and floods in intervened areas.”
