Amazon drought, worst in 47 years

The Amazon’s 18-meter level on September was the lowest since 1963, disrupting transportation of food, fuel and medicines in northern Brazil. Growers in Brazil’s Southeast expect the drought will lessen output of the nation’s key commodities. Brazil is the world’s biggest producer of coffee, sugar and oranges. The prices of this products are increasing around the globe

The Amazon river and its basin functioning at half their normal capacity, when compared to the 2005 drought, it’s threatening rainforests, livelihoods, and entire populations as the maneuvering of supplies to river towns becomes extremely difficult. Boats normally used to transport food have been halted, and supplies can only be ferried by canoe. Air lifts of food supplies have begun to provide relief in remote areas

Greenpeace and other environmentalists warn that dry weather such as what the Amazon region is experiencing now will become more common due to climate change. Meterologists, however, explain that the current dry spell may be the result of a particularly active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Such storms draw moisture away from the Amazon as they progress

The Brazilian Government recently declared an estate of emergency in 25 municipalities near the Amazon basin 

Picture by sibauch