By Lucy Adautin
The Amazon in Brazil, which holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, is approaching dry season, with many of its rivers at critically low levels, prompting governments to prepare for potential issues such as disrupted navigation and increased forest fires.
“The Amazon Basin is facing one of the most severe droughts in recent years in 2024, with significant impacts on several member countries,” stated a technical note issued Wednesday by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Water levels in rivers in southwestern Amazon are the lowest on record for this time of year. Typically, the driest months are August and September, when fire and deforestation are at their peak. So far, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil are the most affected, according to ACTO.
Recently, Brazil’s federal water agency declared a water shortage in the Madeira and Purus basins, which spans an area nearly the size of Mexico. Acre state declared an emergency due to an impending water shortage in its main city.
In June, neighboring Amazonas state took similar measures in 20 of its 62 municipalities, which are usually accessible only by water or air, even under normal conditions.
These actions were taken over two months earlier than in 2023, when the Amazon basin endured its most severe drought on record. This drought killed dozens of river dolphins, enveloped cities in smoke for months, and isolated thousands reliant on water transportation. These measures aim to enhance monitoring, mobilize resources and personnel, and request federal aid.
The Madeira River, one of the largest Amazon tributaries and a crucial waterway for transporting soybeans and fuel, dropped below 3 meters (10 feet) near Porto Velho on July 20, compared to August 15 in 2023. Nighttime navigation has been restricted, and two of Brazil’s largest hydroelectric plants may halt production, as they did last year.
In Envira, a town in Amazonas, nearby rivers have become too shallow for navigation. Local officials have asked elders and pregnant women to relocate to the city center for better access to medical care. Farmers cannot transport cassava flour to market, causing this staple to more than double in price, according to local administration.
Another pressing issue is fire. From January to late July, around 25,000 fires were recorded — the highest number for this period in nearly two decades. In the Amazon, fires are predominantly human-induced, used to manage pastures and clear deforested land.
In Acre, the drought has led to water supply shortages in several parts of its capital, Rio Branco. These areas now rely on trucked-in water, a challenge also faced the previous year. In addition to droughts, severe flooding impacted 19 of the state’s 22 municipalities.
“We’ve faced two consecutive years of extreme events. This has resulted in a looming food shortage. First, the crops were flooded, and now the planting period is extremely dry,” said Julie Messias, Acre’s secretary of environment.
