The Amazon Region is experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history. A combination of extreme weather events linked to the warming of the waters in the Pacific and North Atlantic oceans has significantly reduced rainfall throughout the region, and the area's rivers are approaching their lowest levels on record. The conditions threaten the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 people, and Brazilian officials say more than half a million people could be at risk of isolation and supply shortages in communities only accessible by rivers, some of which have already dried up. Yan Boechat travels to the region to report on the situation for VOA.
Brazil's Amazon Region Faces Devastating Drought
- By Yan Boechat
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At the fish market in the Port of Manaus, consumers complain that prices have risen, and fishermen claim that with low water levels, transportation costs have increased, in Manaus, Oct. 4, 2023.
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The prolonged drought in the Amazon has favored the spread of wildfires, affecting both urban and forested areas around Manaus, Oct. 3, 2023.
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Rivers and lakes that supply the Amazon River are completely dry in the Manaus region, Oct. 3, 2023.
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Unable to draw water from the Puraquequara River, fishermen dig a hole in the mud to access water for bathing and washing dishes, in Manaus, Oct. 3, 2023.
