Severe drought returns to the Amazon River region earlier than expected

Severe drought returns to the Amazon River region earlier than expected

 The Amazon Basin, which holds a fifth of the world's fresh water, has begun the dry season in which many of its rivers have already fallen to extremely low levels, prompting governments to anticipate emergency measures to address issues ranging from disruption to navigation to increased forest fires.

“The Amazon Basin faces one of the most severe droughts in recent years in 2024, with significant impacts on many member states,” a technical note issued by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, said on Wednesday.

Water levels in many rivers in southwestern Amazonia were the lowest ever for this time of year. Historically, August and September are the driest months, when fires and deforestation peak. So far, the most affected countries are Bolivia, Peru and Brazil, according to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Last Monday, the Brazilian Federal Water Agency announced a water shortage in two major basins, Madeira and Puros, covering an area approximately the size of Mexico. The next day, Akure state declared a state of emergency amid an impending water shortage in its main city. In June, the neighboring state of Amazonas adopted the same measure in 20 of its 62 municipalities that can only be reached by water or air, even in normal times.

These steps were taken more than two months before 2023, when most of the Amazon Basin suffered the worst drought on record, killing dozens of river dolphins, suffocating cities with smoke for months and isolating thousands of people who depend on movement across rivers. The measures are used to increase monitoring, mobilize resources and personnel, and request federal assistance.

The depth of the Madeira River, one of the Amazon's largest tributaries and an important waterway for soybeans and fuel, fell to less than 3 meters near Puerto Velho on July 20. In 2023, the same thing happened on August 15. Navigation restrictions were imposed during the night, and two of Brazil's largest hydroelectric power plants may stop production, as happened last year.

In the town of Envira in Amazonas state, nearby rivers have become too shallow to navigate. Local officials have asked the elderly and pregnant women to move from riverine communities to the city center because otherwise medical help may not be able to reach them. Farmers who produce cassava flour cannot transport it to market. As a result, the price of this staple food in the Amazon has doubled, according to the local administration.