Amazon Faces Severe Drought and Record Wildfires in 2024

September 23, 2024

In 2023, the Amazon region faced one of its worst droughts ever, leading to a significant drop in water levels in major rivers like the Solimoes. By September 2024, the water level in the Madeira River in Porto Velho dropped to just 48 cm, compared to the normal level of 332 cm. This drastic change caused the Brazilian government to declare state of emergency in six cities.

How the Drought Affected Biodiversity and Communities

The drought has had a serious impact on both the wildlife and the people living in the Amazon. Many communities depend on rivers for transportation, especially the Indigenous and riverine populations. With rivers drying up, it has become difficult to travel, cutting people off from important supplies like food, fuel, and medicine. The Amazon region, which is home to around 47 million people, relies heavily on its rivers for daily life, making this situation especially difficult.

Record-Breaking Wildfires

The drought also caused a surge in wildfires. In July 2023, there were about 11,500 fires, but this number shot up to 38,000 in August 2023—the highest level of fires in two decades. These fires have released large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, reaching the highest levels of carbon emissions since 2005. This has worsened the environmental crisis.

What Caused the Drought?

The drought is mainly due to climate change and the El Niño weather pattern, which reduces rainfall. Another factor is the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), which controls rain in the region. Warmer ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean have pushed the ITCZ further north, resulting in less rainfall in the Amazon.

The Amazon has experienced more frequent and intense droughts over the years. Major droughts occurred in 2005, 2010, and 2015-2016. In the past 25 years, there have been four severe droughts, showing a troubling pattern of more frequent dry spells.

Long-Term Effects of the Drought

This ongoing drought could have serious long-term effects. Drier conditions lead to more trees dying, which reduces the forest’s ability to absorb carbon. It also increases the risk of wildfires. Although the full consequences of the drought are not yet clear, it is likely to have a lasting impact on the environment and the people who depend on the Amazon for their livelihoods.

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