The Amazon is suffering from the worst drought in history

22.09.2024

This year there is extreme drought in the Amazon region and many places have not had rain for 150 days. Most major Amazon rivers have reached their lowest water levels on record. The situation will not improve in the coming months as the dry season prevails in the area mostly until November. A low level negatively affects the lives of local communities threatens fauna and restricts trade. The drought affects the Madeira River the most but the Amazon River is also at a historic low.

Photo:Pixabay

This year's drought in the Amazon has turned the mighty arms of the rivers into sandbars. In the Brazilian Madeira River which flows through the states of Amazonas and Rondonia the level dropped to 79 cm on the ninth of September. This is the lowest recorded level of this river in the city of Porto Velho. The Negro, Solimoes and Parus rivers are also at record low levels.

It is clear from the data of meteorologists that the drought has also affected the Amazon itself. Thanks to record low rainfall the water level in Itacoatiara fell to 4.7 meters which is 3.3 meters less than in the dry season of 2017.

The situation will only start to improve in November by which time we can expect more records to be broken. The current situation threatens the local fauna the most. Everyone is worried that there will not be a mass death of dolphins as happened last year.

The El Niño phenomenon which in 2023 caused an abnormal warming of the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean plays a significant role in the drought in the Amazon. This has reduced the amount of rainfall in the Amazon region. This year an oceanic anomaly joined in causing a shorter and milder rainy season.

According to experts, global warming also affects ocean temperature oscillations. However the constant deforestation of the Amazon rainforest also plays a negative role. Simply put the fewer trees there are the less evapotranspiration occurs and less water enters the atmosphere.

As a result of the long-lasting drought, the Amazon is also struggling with massive fires. Smoke from the fires has reduced air quality in more than sixty percent of Brazil.

Source:NewsMongabay/Editorial