The water shortage left visible the structures that formed Miramar before it disappeared due to a flood in the 1970s. The unexpected advance of the great lagoon of Mar Chiquita, located in the northwest of the Argentine province of Córdoba, submerged half of the city of Miramar de Ansenuza in the 1970s. Now, after decades under water, much of its ruins of this ancient settlement, returned to the light.
Since 2017, the level of Mar Chiquita has dropped by nearly four and a half metres, mainly due to climate change and the modification of Cordoba's natural environments. "In addition to global warming, forests are deforested at the mouth of the Dulce River, which bathes the lagoon in the north of the country," explained historian Mariana Zapata. The reappearance of Miramar is just one of the many consequences of the severe drought that is afflicting the country, and that has brought down rainfall below the historical average of recent years. According to Anabela Caffer, guide of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the Laguna Mar Chiquita, this body of water is "witness of climate change" and in the 70s was the lagoon most affected by this environmental phenomenon at the global level. "Our lagoon behaves like the global climate. It is easier for researchers to study climate change through the hydrological study of South America, based on the thermometer that is our lagoon, rather than studying climate change itself," added Caffer.
Zapata says that, before the great flood due to the water supply of the river Dulce to the lagoon, Miramar was considered the "tourist destination par excellence" of the province of Córdoba, distinguishing itself by the abundance of accommodation facilities, a three-kilometer avenue, freshwater pools and entertainment venues. Its 110 hotels, cottages and hostels allowed it to have at that time an ability to receive up to "70,000 tourists per season", says the historian. Although the decline in the lagoon of Mar Chiquita can be considered a cyclical phenomenon, only between last year and this year has suffered a drop of 70 centimeters, according to data from the local newspaper La Voz. This is a historical decline, greater than that of 2013, which made many structures visible again. In this sense, the new landscape, as well as arousing nostalgia among the locals, has become a tourist attraction in the Argentine summer season, which begins in mid-December and ends in mid-March. Visitors can now visit the ruins of many of the city’s architectural landmarks and appreciate some of the details still intact. "Excursions are taking place in the sector and the tourist part is perfectly explained. It is a new color for this season. There are many people who are remembering and rediscovering these times", says Silvina Arrieta, Secretary of the Municipality of Tourism.
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