Brazil's Amazon Faces Worst Drought Since 1950

The Brazilian Amazon is grappling with its worst drought since 1950, a crisis that experts warn could worsen in the coming months.

According to a report by the Argentine newspaper Infobae, riverbeds have dried up in Manacapuru, near Manaus, fish are trapped, and nearly twenty rural communities have been cut off.

Following a turbulent year, Brazil is facing an extreme drought in 2023, with the Amazon region among the hardest-hit areas.

According to data from the National Center for Disaster Monitoring and Warning, this severe drought has led the state of Amazonas to declare a state of emergency across all 62 of its municipalities.

In addition to the drought, rampant wildfires have further strained the region.

The Negro River, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon, has already fallen by four meters compared to the same period last year.

Throughout Amazonas, which is home to the largest population of indigenous people in Brazil, the drought has directly affected nearly 80,000 families, according to the state's civil defense agency.

Hundreds of herons take advantage of the drought to feed fish stranded in the remaining water.

Traveling to Manaus, the region's capital, remains possible via another tributary, but the journey now takes an hour longer than usual, making it difficult to transport essential goods like medicine and food. This delay is having a significant impact on the local economy.