Severe drought has returned to the Amazon. And it's happening earlier than expected
Severe drought has returned to the Amazon. And it's happening earlier than expected
The Amazon is entering its driest period, from August to September. Many rivers are at historic lows even earlier than last year.
Holder of one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, the Amazon is beginning the dry season with many of its rivers already at critically low levels, prompting governments to anticipate contingency measures to address issues ranging from disrupted navigation to increasing 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, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
In several rivers in the southwestern Amazon, water levels are the lowest on record for this time of year. Historically, the driest months are August and September, when fire and deforestation peak. So far, the most affected countries are Bolivia, Peru and Brazil, according to ACTO.
On Monday, Brazil’s federal water agency decreed a water shortage in two major basins, Madeira and Purus, which cover an area nearly the size of Mexico. The next day, Acre state declared an emergency amid an impending water shortage in its main city. In June, neighboring Amazonas state adopted the same measure in 20 of its 62 municipalities that are mostly only accessed by water or air, even in normal times.
I'm sad for the ecosystem and for the pink dolphins. They've been dying in startling numbers due to increasing temperatures and drought. I'm glad I got to see them in person during a trip to the Amazon. But it was saddening just thinking there's a good chance they'll become functionally extinct within my lifetime.
That's so cool you got to see the dolphins! It breaks my heart the animals are suffering becuase humanity couldn't keep it's shit together.
So. The Earth’s lung cancer is now stage …3?
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