Environmental experts state that climate change and global warming are not only causing rivers in the Amazon to dry up but also leading to unprecedented forest fires that devastate arid vegetation.
Barge carrying water stranded on the sandbank of the Solimoes River. (Source: Reuters).
On September 30, the water level of the Solimoes River, one of the two largest tributaries of the Amazon River in Brazil, dropped to its lowest level ever, disrupting the daily lives of residents in riverside villages. This is a consequence of the most severe drought recorded in the Amazon region.
According to Brazil’s Civil Defense Agency, in Manacapuru, located about 100 km upstream from the state capital Manaus, where the Solimoes River merges with the Rio Negro to form the majestic Amazon River, the depth of the Solimoes River is now only about 3 meters, which is 11 cm lower than the record low recorded on October 25 last year.
As it is currently the dry season, experts predict that the water level of the Solimoes River, flowing downstream from the Andes in Peru, will continue to decline in the coming weeks, exacerbating the crisis for the riverine communities.
Currently, the villages in this area have been isolated as there are no means of transportation able to navigate the shallow waters. Instead of traveling by boat, villagers must walk for 2 hours across the exposed riverbed to get home.
Notably, the residents here are facing shortages of both food and drinking water, as fish stocks have depleted and freshwater sources are dwindling.
Environmentalists indicate that climate change and global warming are not only causing rivers in the Amazon to dry up but are also triggering unprecedented forest fires that destroy arid vegetation.
