New Delhi, Feb. 27 -- Peru declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for nearly half the country's districts following severe rainfall, landslides and flooding triggered by rising ocean temperatures, which authorities link to the El Nino Costero, or coastal El Nino, climate phenomenon.

Signed by interim President Jose Maria Balcazar and published in the country's official gazette, the decree aims to fast-track funding for local and regional authorities to secure vital infrastructure - including bridges, roads, water and electricity - while protecting the life and health of residents. More than 700 districts across the Pacific coast, the Andes and the Amazon are now under a state of emergency.

Although rains have intensified in the past...