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Photos: Brazil’s Amazon faces severe drought

A lack of rain follows on the heels of flooding, drying up incomes and putting drinking water supplies at risk.

Houseboats sit amid drought-impacted land near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Houseboats sit amid drought-impacted land near the Solimoes River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
Published On 20 Oct 2022

Just months after enduring floods that destroyed crops and submerged communities, thousands of families in the Brazilian Amazon are now dealing with drought that in some areas is the worst in decades.

The low level of the Amazon River, which is the heart of the world’s largest drainage system, has put dozens of municipalities on alert.

The quickly decreasing water levels are due to lower-than-expected rainfall during August and September, according to Luna Gripp, a geosciences researcher who monitors the western Amazon’s river levels for the Brazilian Geological Survey.

In the Sao Estevao community, fishermen have postponed catching pirarucu, the Amazon’s largest fish, because the boat to transport their catch to the city cannot dock.

The legal fishing season runs until the end of November. If the water level doesn’t rise soon, the seven-family community will lose a significant source of income, fisherman Pedro Canizio da Silva told The Associated Press.

About six months ago, the community suffered losses due to a heavier-than-expected flood season.

“I lost my crops of banana and yuca,” Canizio said. “Moreover, caymans and anacondas got closer to us due to the flood and ate some of my ducks and chickens. The water underneath my stilted house almost reached the floor.”

In the Porto Praia Indigenous community, the nearby branch of the Amazon River has become a vast swathe of sand that during the day becomes too hot to walk across. A motorboat trip to Tefe, normally 90 minutes long, now takes four hours, Anilton Braz, a local leader, told AP, because the water is so shallow in some stretches that it is necessary to paddle instead of using the motor.

The local source of water has become muddy and there is no other water to drink. “We fear our children will get sick with diarrhoea and other diseases,” Braz said.

The situation has led Tefe’s City Hall to declare a state of emergency to speed aid to families, but so far, there’s been little help. “The mayor sent a little bit of food,” Braz said.

The local civil defence authority said 53 out of 62 municipalities in Amazonas state have been affected by floods and drought this year. The drier season, known locally as the “Amazonian summer”, usually lasts from June to December in this part of the rainforest.

A family organizes food in an area impacted by the drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Months after enduring floods that destroyed crops, thousands of families in the Brazilian Amazon are now dealing with severe drought. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
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Drought impacted land sits near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Most of Amazonas state is not connected by roads, so goods are usually transported on the rivers, but with water levels low, residents are worried about shortages of food, fuel and other supplies. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
Pedro Canizio da Silva walks with food in an area impacted by the drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Pedro Canizio da Silva carries food in an area impacted by the drought. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A woman walks in an area impacted by drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazi
In Tefe, a city of 60,000 people on the upper Amazon, low water levels have prevented large ships from docking at the port. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A man walks by boats on dry land in an area impacted by the drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
The drought is even more critical in the dozens of communities scattered around Tefe, where about 3,500 families are affected. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A boat dock is impacted by drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Many waterways, such as lakes and creeks, have dried up, eliminating access to the Amazon River and nearby cities, which function as commercial hubs. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
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Houseboats sit amid drought-impacted land near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
In Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia state, the mighty Madeira River registered its lowest ever level since official records began in 1998. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A woman walks near a houseboat impacted by the drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
A houseboat has been left high and dry by the drought near the Solimoes River. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A boat dock sits amid drought-impacted land near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
In the Acre state capital, Rio Branco, the Acre River, which cuts through the city, fell to its lowest level since measurements started in 1967, according the Brazilian Geological Survey. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
Children walk in an area impacted by the drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
Coari, a city close to Tefe, is enduring its sixth worst drought since records began in 1975. [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]
A man walks in an area impacted by drought near the Solimões River, in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil
"As climate change causes extreme weather events, significant droughts in the Amazon are likely a sign of such changes," said Alejandro Duarte, a climate researcher at the Federal University of Acre. "This could be an irreversible trend in coming years." [Edmar Barros/AP Photo]