Chile: El Nino rains help replenish drought-hit lakes in central Chile.

SHOTLIST: VALPARAISO, CHILE (AUG. 26, 2026) 1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF OF LAKE PENICO FOLLOWING WINTER RAINS / WATER AND SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE AT LAKE PENICO 2. VARIOUS OF LAKE SURROUNDINGS / PEOPLE SPENDING TIME AROUND LAKE / PEOPLE FEEDING DUCKS 3. DUCKS SWIMMING IN LAKE (TWO SHOTS) 4. PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF CHILE'S FACULTY OF FOREST SCIENCES AND NATURE CONSERVATION AND RESEARCHER AT CENTER FOR CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE, PILAR BARRIA SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Spanish)VALPARAISO, CHILE - AUG. 26: Intense winter rains have helped replenish lakes and reservoirs in central Chile that had been severely affected by years of drought, with Lake Penico among water bodies showing signs of recovery ahead of World Lake Day. Aerial footage recorded in Valparaiso on Wednesday, Aug. 26, showed Lake Penico at 18% of its capacity following rainfall during the Southern Hemisphere winter. The rainfall, associated with development of a strong El Nino phenomenon, has contributed to increased water levels in several lakes and reservoirs that had experienced significant declines in surface area. Pilar Barria, professor at University of Chile’s Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation and researcher at Center for Climate and Resilience, said water volume in most reservoirs in northern and central Chile had increased by 27% compared with 2025. Barria said current levels were also considerably higher than during some of driest years of Chile’s megadrought between 2019 and 2021. She said increased water storage was positive, noting importance of lakes as freshwater sources and providers of ecosystem services. Barria also said World Lake Day, observed on Aug. 27, provides an opportunity to reconsider how water resources are managed, protected and preserved.