THE Brazilian Amazon is experiencing a severe drought due to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
This is the port area of Manaus along Rio Negro.
It is suffering from a severe drought that severely affected and restricted the movement of residents and goods by boat.
This historic drought is making it more challenging for remote communities in the area to have access to essential services, like water, food, and healthcare.
Authorities in Brazil estimate that approximately 500,000 Brazilians could be affected by the drought by the end of the year.
“Man, this drought is historical. It is a drought, as I just said, I have never seen anything like this. We are all suffering from this drought. It’s nature, and we can’t do anything about it. When god wants it,” according to Jose Nilson, Fisherman, Brazil.
“It is expected to be historical, one of the biggest droughts in the Amazon. It comes with lots of difficulties, transportation. We live by the Solimoes river and it gets complicated. But droughts and floods, that’s what the amazon river is like, so people who live here are used to it. You have to adapt,” said, Renato De Souza, Citizen.
“I pray to God for this to stop. Many people are suffering with the drought, many animals dying on the beach,” Jose Rafael, Citizen from Venezuela, stated.
Meteorologists attribute the severity of this year’s drought to the presence of ‘’El Niño,’’ a cyclical weather phenomenon characterized by the warming of Pacific Ocean waters, which affects climate patterns globally.
As a result of this compounded effect, the water levels in rivers and lakes across the Amazon basin have reached unprecedented lows, prompting the entire region to declare a state of emergency.
In response to the historic, prolonged drought, the northern state of Amazonas declared a state of emergency two weeks ago and initiated a $20-M response plan to provide aid and support to the affected communities.
