Water levels in many of the rivers in the Amazon basin have reached their lowest level on record amid an ongoing drought, Brazil’s Geological Survey (SGB) reports.
The Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon, had dropped to just 48cm in the city of Porto Velho on Tuesday, down from 3.32m on average for the day. they showed official figures .
The Solimões River has also dropped to its lowest level on record in Tabatinga, on Brazil’s border with Colombia.
Brazil’s disaster monitoring agency Cemaden described the current drought as the “most intense and widespread” ever recorded.
It is of particular concern because it has worsened relatively early in the Amazon’s dry season, which typically runs from June to November.
This suggests that the situation in the Amazon may not improve significantly for a few months in a region that is critical to combating climate change, as well as a rich source of biodiversity.
The relationships between drought and global warming are complex, but climate change may play a role in exacerbating dry conditions in two main ways.
First, the Amazon basin typically receives less rainfall than in the past between June and November as climate patterns change.
Second, warmer temperatures increase evaporation from plants and soils, causing them to lose more water.
In 2023, the Amazon basin suffered its worst drought in at least 45 years – which scientists at the World Weather Attribution Group found had become many times more likely due to climate change .
Last year, the drought was also exacerbated by the natural weather pattern known as El Niño, which tends to make the Amazon warmer and drier than normal.
El Niño has since ended, but dry conditions persist.
Another factor in the Amazon drought is deforestation. About a fifth of the rainforest has been lost in the last 50 years, for example to make way for agriculture.
These trees provide drought resilience 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 pledged to completely stop deforestation by 2030.
However, the current drought – which has helped spread the fires – highlights some of the challenges of limiting further forest loss.
Low water levels in the region’s major rivers also severely affect the lives of local residents, who rely on them for navigation.
According to Cemaden, as of last week there were more than 100 municipalities that had not seen any rain for more than 150 days.
Residents of Manacapuru, on the banks of the Solimões River, said they were struggling to bring vital supplies, including food and drinking water, into the town.
“This is where we anchored the boat and it got stuck on land the next day. We had no way to move it,” fisherman Josué Oliveira told Reuters news agency.
“Nothing will get through,” explained another fisherman.
