The Uruguayan village of Las Flores was located 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Montevideo near Piedras Coloradas, which bills itself as the “Capital of Timber.” These days, Las Flores is known as “Dry Village” and, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists. That’s because the watermelon and peanut farming that supported its 40 families has ground to a halt on account of the area’s wells drying up. All but three houses in the town have been abandoned. Water problems also dog the department of Soriano, located 150 kilometers (93 miles) to the south. There, local authorities are making periodic water deliveries to some 200 families whose small farms have come under intense pressure, also because their wells have failed. The two areas have... [Log in to read more]