“Stormwater drainage channels in Chilecito, La Rioja Province, Argentina are clogged with garbage, creating an imminent flood risk for families living in precarious settlements.”

The paper analyses sociocultural factors related to stormwater drainage in the city of Chilecito, La Rioja. It describes that garbage thrown into public spaces, waste placed outside of collection times, and inadequate maintenance of stormwater systems lead to the obstruction of drains and conduits. These obstructions cause the persistence of water in streets after rainfall, urban flooding greater than design values for the stormwater system, unsanitary conditions, increased risk of diseases associated with accumulated garbage in chambers and conduits, and the proliferation of insects and vermin. The study also notes that these impacts particularly affect areas near watercourses where marginalized populations and improperly deposited solid waste are concentrated.

For the area you selected (La Rioja), the urban flood hazard is classified as medium. This means there is more than a 20% chance of potentially damaging and life‑threatening urban flooding in the next 10 years. The tool notes that buildings and projects can also exacerbate river flood risk downstream by reducing the storage capacity of floodplains. It adds that climate change is expected to increase daily rainfall, the number of days with intense precipitation and the number of extreme rainfall events in northern Argentina, so current flood hazard levels are expected to rise in future.

The article reports that neighborhood organizations in Chilecito have denounced that several stormwater drains and irrigation channels ‘are clogged with garbage and rubble,’ which prevents normal water flow during storms. Community leaders quoted in the note warn that ‘if a strong storm occurs, the water will enter the houses of the precarious settlements that are next to the channels,’ and describe the situation as an imminent flood risk for hundreds of families.

The article describes intense rains that caused serious flooding in La Rioja, including in Chilecito. It reports that streets were completely covered in water and that the Chilecito bus terminal was flooded. The piece does not mention stormwater channels being clogged with garbage, nor does it specifically refer to precarious settlements around Chilecito; it focuses instead on the collapse of a bridge, flooded streets and rescue operations after vehicles became trapped.

A report from Página/12 on recent rains in La Rioja describes the conditions in precarious settlements in Chilecito. It states: “In the peripheral neighborhoods the stormwater channels are saturated with waste; neighbors dumped garbage for years in the ditches that were never fully maintained. With the last storms the water reached the doors of several shacks and social organizations are warning of an imminent flood risk if the channels are not cleared.” The article notes that the municipality announced an emergency cleaning plan, but neighbors say it is progressing slowly.

Local coverage of heavy rains in Chilecito describes that several neighbourhoods were flooded after an intense storm. Residents reported that ‘the stormwater channels are full of garbage and do not drain’, which led to water entering homes in informal settlements near the channels. Municipal authorities quoted in the article acknowledged that ‘the accumulation of solid waste in the drainage system aggravates the flooding problem’ and announced emergency cleaning of the affected channels.

According to this local report, neighbourhood organisations in Chilecito denounced that several stormwater channels running next to popular neighbourhoods were “practically turned into open‑air dumps”. Residents said that garbage, plastic and rubble block the flow of water and that, with the forecast of heavy rains, “we are afraid that the water will overflow and enter our houses, most of which are precarious.” Municipal authorities acknowledged the presence of waste in the channels and promised a cleaning operation but said that, at the time of the report, no houses had yet been flooded.

Residents of several vulnerable neighbourhoods in Chilecito told this newspaper that the storm drains and open stormwater channels “are full of garbage and sediment” and that they fear flooding when heavy rains arrive. A community leader from a settlement near a channel said: “We live in very precarious houses, many made of wood and sheet metal. If the channel overflows because it is clogged with trash, the water will come straight into our homes.” The article stresses that the problem has been reported repeatedly but that systematic cleaning has not been carried out.

Residents of peripheral neighborhoods in Chilecito interviewed by the newspaper state that ‘the stormwater drains are full of garbage and branches’ and that during the last heavy rain ‘water overflowed towards the houses built with precarious materials.’ They warn that, if the drains are not cleaned, ‘a bigger flood could occur at any moment,’ affecting families living in informal settlements near the channels.

Urban hydrology and risk studies across Argentina consistently report that open stormwater drainage channels in medium‑sized cities, including those in northwest provinces like La Rioja, are frequently used as informal dumping sites for household garbage and construction waste. This practice commonly leads to clogged channels, reduced drainage capacity and recurrent flooding of adjacent low‑income or informal settlements during heavy rains. Although patterns are well documented in multiple cities, the imminence of flood risk in a specific locality can vary over time depending on recent cleaning or infrastructure works.