Amazon River Hits 121-Year Low in Severe Drought Crisis

• Historic drought in Amazon causes lowest river levels in over a century.
• Severe drought impacts lives of hundreds of thousands and harms the jungle ecosystem.
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• The lowest water level in 121 years, surpassing the previous all-time low in 2010.

In a historic event, rivers deep within the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil have hit their lowest water levels in over a century.

This severe drought is wreaking havoc on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and causing significant harm to the jungle ecosystem.

Manaus, the most populous city in the region, situated at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, reported a water level of 13.59 meters (44.6 feet) on Monday, a stark drop from 17.60 meters the previous year.

This marks the lowest water level recorded in 121 years, since records began in 1902, surpassing the previous all-time low established in 2010.

The drying of vital tributaries in the Amazon has stranded boats, isolating remote villages and cutting off their access to food and water supplies.

Additionally, elevated water temperatures are suspected of causing the death of more than 100 endangered river dolphins.

In the midst of months without rain, residents of rainforest villages, such as Pedro Mendonca, expressed relief when a Brazilian NGO recently delivered supplies to their riverside community near Manaus.

From July to September, certain parts of the Amazon have experienced their driest conditions since 1980, as reported by Brazil’s government disaster alert center, Cemaden.

The Brazilian Ministry of Science attributes this drought to the emergence of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is driving extreme weather patterns worldwide this year.

In a statement released earlier this month, the ministry anticipates that the drought will persist at least until December, coinciding with the projected peak of El Niño’s effects.

Beneath the El Niño phenomenon lies the overarching trend of global warming, contributing to the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including droughts and heatwaves.

As of Monday, the drought has impacted 481,000 individuals, according to the civil defense agency in the Amazonas state, where Manaus is situated.

In response to the crisis, employees from the Brazilian NGO Fundação Amazônia Sustentável have ventured into the arid areas near Manaus to deliver essential supplies to vulnerable villages.

The drought has jeopardized the regular transportation of food, drinking water, and medicines by river, necessitating alternative methods like tractors or foot travel.

Nelson Mendonca, a community leader in Santa Helena do Ingles, noted that while some areas remain accessible by canoe, many boats have been unable to transport supplies along the river, resulting in most goods being delivered by tractors or on foot.

Luciana Valentin, a resident of Santa Helena do Ingles, has expressed worries regarding the quality of the community’s water source due to diminished water levels caused by the drought.