Water levels in the Amazon basin’s rivers have plummeted to historic lows due to an ongoing drought, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. The Madeira River, a key tributary of the Amazon, reached a critical low of just 48 cm in Porto Velho, significantly below its typical average of 3.32 m for this time of year.
The Solimões River has also registered its lowest levels ever recorded in Tabatinga, located on Brazil’s border with Colombia. Brazil’s natural disaster monitoring agency, Cemaden, has labeled this drought as the most severe and widespread phenomenon it has documented.
Worryingly, this drought has intensified earlier in the Amazon’s dry season, which generally spans from June to November, indicating that conditions may not improve significantly for several months. This situation is particularly alarming as the Amazon plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and is home to vast biodiversity.
Climate change intricately exacerbates drought conditions. The Amazon basin is currently experiencing a decrease in rainfall during the usual dry season, coupled with rising temperatures that amplify evaporation from plants and soils. In 2023, the Amazon experienced its harshest drought in over 45 years, a trend that scientific findings attribute significantly to climate change.
The previous year, the drought was intensified by the El Niño weather pattern, resulting in warmer and drier conditions. Though El Niño has concluded, the region continues to endure dry spells. Deforestation is another critical factor contributing to drought severity, as nearly 20% of the rainforest has been cleared in the last five decades for agriculture. The loss of these trees diminishes the ecosystem’s ability to release moisture, thereby making the Amazon more susceptible to drought.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has committed to completely halting deforestation by 2030. However, the ongoing drought, which has facilitated the spread of fires, underscores the significant challenges in achieving this goal.
The low water levels in the Amazon’s main rivers are also adversely affecting local residents who depend on them for transportation. Reports indicate that as of last week, over 100 municipalities had not experienced any rainfall for more than 150 days. Residents in areas such as Manacapuru, situated along the Solimões River, are struggling to transport essential supplies, including food and drinking water. Locals have expressed frustration, with fishermen recounting instances where their boats became stranded as water levels receded, leaving communities cut off from necessary resources.