Manaus, Brazil: The river port in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon rainforest, reached its lowest water level in 122 years on Friday. Ground water and environmental scientists are also surprised by this. The water level in the river port has reached its lowest level for the first time since 1902. The waterways here have been destroyed due to severe drought. The drought at the port has also disrupted grain exports and transportation of essential supplies, the lifeline of the region.
It is being said that less than average rainfall is the reason for this major drought. Even during the rainy season there is very little rainfall. The Amazon and most parts of South America have been plagued by it since last year. Brazil and Bolivia have witnessed their worst wildfires in more than a decade. Researchers say that climate change is the main reason. Scientists predict that the Amazon region will not be able to fully recover moisture levels until 2026.
Water level may fall further in 2 weeks
Last year the drought became a humanitarian crisis, as people dependent on rivers were stranded without food, water or medicine. However, this year officials are already on alert. At least 62 municipalities in hard-hit Amazonas state are under a state of emergency and more than half a million people are affected, according to the state Civil Protection Corps. “This is the most severe drought the Port of Manaus has experienced in more than 120 years,” said Valmir Mendonça, port operations chief. He said the river level is likely to fall further in the next one or two weeks. The port of Manaus measured the Rio Negro river at 12.66 meters on Friday, surpassing the lowest level ever recorded last year and still falling rapidly, according to the website.
Amazon is a freshwater river
The Rio Negro is a major tributary of the Amazon River, the world's largest river by volume. The port is located near the “meeting of waters” where the black waters of Negros meet the sandy-colored Solimões, which reached a record low this week. A port association said last month that grain shipments on the Madeira River, another Amazon tributary, had been halted due to low water levels. Researchers are once again finding dolphin carcasses in the freshwater river Amazon, which they blame on the thinning of the water. This is the reason why endangered aquatic species are coming in close contact with humans.
National Disaster Agency said – biggest drought
Extreme weather and dryness are affecting much of South America, with the Paraguay River also at its lowest level ever. That river begins in Brazil and flows through Paraguay and Argentina into the Atlantic.
The same extreme heat and dryness is helping fuel growing fires in the Amazon and the neighboring Pantanal, the world's largest wetland. Bolivia is also on track to break the record for the most fires ever recorded, according to data from Brazil's space research agency. (Reuters)
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