Brazil's Worst Drought Triggers Wildfires and Record-Low Amazon River Levels

Photo : AP

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil is grappling with its most severe drought since nationwide records began over seven decades ago, with 59% of the country currently under intense stress—an area approximately half the size of the United States.

The crisis has led to historically low water levels in major Amazon basin rivers and uncontrolled wildfires that have devastated protected areas and severely impacted air quality. The smoke from these fires has spread across vast regions, resulting in Sao Paulo—home to 21 million people—recording the second most polluted air globally, following Lahore, Pakistan, according to data from the Swiss air technology company IQAir.

Ana Paula Cunha, a researcher at the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, highlighted the unprecedented nature of the situation. "This is the first time that a drought has affected the entire span from the North to the Southeast of the country,” Cunha stated on Thursday. “It is the most intense and widespread drought in history.”

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The wildfire situation is particularly dire. In Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, one of Brazil’s renowned tourist destinations located about 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) north of Sao Paulo, fires are sweeping through the area. Nayara Stacheski, the park’s head, explained, “This year, the dry season began much earlier than usual, and while the rainy season was intense, it was brief. The combination of strong winds, very low humidity, and extreme heat exacerbates the wildfire situation.”

On Monday, efforts were underway to combat the fires with a helicopter set to assist in transporting firefighters, while 80 firefighters, supported by two aircraft, had managed to control one blaze. However, two other fires were threatening to encroach on the park.

The fires in the Cerrado region, Brazil’s savanna, are part of a broader pattern of devastating blazes that have plagued the country this year. From January to September 8, Brazil recorded nearly 160,000 fires, marking the worst year for fires since 2010. The Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland area, has also faced its second-worst fire year on record.

Most of these fires are attributed to human activities, including deforestation and land clearing for agriculture. Since the beginning of the year, fires have burned an area roughly the size of Italy.

In addition to the fires, the drought has led to unprecedented low levels in the Amazon River and its main tributary, the Madeira River. In the city of Tabatinga, new daily record lows have been reported, and significant rainfall is not anticipated until October. The low river levels have stranded numerous communities dependent on river transportation, including Fidadelfia, home to 387 families from the Tikuna tribe. Local leader Myrian Tikuna reported that the drought has led to a shortage of potable water, with children drinking from contaminated sources, resulting in a surge of illnesses. The drought has also led to food shortages as crops fail and transportation to the city becomes increasingly difficult.

Tikuna shared a photo of her community taken on Monday, showing a landscape of barren sand where the Amazon River once flowed. “This used to be the Amazon River," she lamented. "Now it’s a desert. If things get worse, our people will disappear. We are beginning to see the true impact of climate change.