Drought has led to rotating water rationing in Bogota, Colombia's capital of almost 10 million people, while Ecuador's energy grid has been pushed to the brink, prompting power cuts to conserve water in dams.

Colombia and Ecuador -- both largely dependent on hydroelectric dams for energy -- have been battered by a strong El Nino weather pattern that has caused drought conditions, which scientists say were further exacerbated by climate change and damaging human activity.

Rural communities in the Ecuador and Colombia Andes are fighting to protect a fragile wetland ecosystem. Activists argue the wetlands need to be protected for their water-conserving abilities, particularly in times of drought.