Drought leaves Amazon basin rivers at all-time low
Kyiv • UNN
The water level in many rivers in the Amazon basin has reached the lowest level ever recorded. The drought, exacerbated by climate change and deforestation, is having a serious impact on the lives of local residents.
The water level in many rivers of the Amazon basin has reached the lowest level in the history of observations amid drought, according to the Brazilian Geological Survey (SGB), UNN reports with reference to the BBC.
Details
The level of the Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon, dropped to just 48 cm in the city of Porto Velho on Tuesday, compared to an average of 3.32 m for that day, according to official data.
The Solimões River also fell to its lowest level on record at Tabatinga, on Brazil's border with Colombia.
The Brazilian disaster monitoring agency Cemaden described the current drought as "the most intense and extensive" ever recorded.
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This is particularly alarming because the situation worsened relatively early in the Amazon's dry season, which lasts from June to November.
This suggests that the situation in the Amazon may not improve significantly for several months in a region that is crucial in the fight against climate change and is also a rich source of biodiversity.
The relationship between drought and global warming is complex, but climate change can play a role in worsening drought conditions in two main ways.
First, the Amazon basin typically receives less precipitation than before between June and November due to changing climatic conditions.
Second, higher temperatures increase evaporation from plants and soils, so they lose more water.
In 2023, the Amazon basin experienced its worst drought in at least 45 years, and as scientists from the World Weather Attribution group have found, its likelihood has increased many times over due to climate change.
Last year, the drought was also exacerbated by a natural weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which also makes the Amazon warmer and drier than usual.
Since then, El Niño has ended, but the dry conditions have persisted.
Deforestation is another factor in the Amazon droughts. Over the past 50 years, about one-fifth of the rainforest has been lost, for example, to make way for agriculture.
These trees provide drought resistance because they help increase rainfall by releasing moisture back into the air from their leaves. Without them, the Amazon is more vulnerable.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to completely stop deforestation by 2030.
The low water levels in the region's main rivers also have a serious impact on the lives of local people who rely on them for navigation.
According to Cemaden, as of last week, more than 100 municipalities had not seen rain for more than 150 days.
