Reuters reports that the on-going El Nino driven drought has led the government to declare a state of emergency because of "severe and widespread damage". Drinking water is limited, and saltwater is intruding up rivers, preventing use of rivers for irrigation. In the south, food for Native communities is in short supply and forest fires are also occurring, as in neighboring Brazil. Rice plantings have dropped 30,000 acres to 150,000 in the past year. River mining of gold has also stopped as the rivers dried up.