Drought has caused water levels to plunge in the Brazilian Amazon, producing scenes such as this one in Manquiri Lake, 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Manaus, capital of Amazonas state. (Photo by Alberto Cesar Araújo/Greenpeace)
As severe drought drove water levels in Brazilian Amazon rivers this month lower than at any time in over half a century, the relentless heat and dry conditions took a toll on wildlife, people, and the rainforest ecosystems that sustain them. The consequences were evident in remote corners of the Amazon such as Lake Tefé in Amazonas state, where surface-water temperatures early in the month hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius), killing over 150 freshwater dolphins. The fallout was also felt in human population centers—among them Manaus, where smoke from wildfires turned the Amazonas state capital of two million into one of the most polluted cities in the world, according to the World Air Quality Index. In Benjamin Constant, a city of 45,000 in Amazonas state, Mayor David Bemerguy tells EcoAméricas that food and potable water supplies have plummeted because the city’s port is now too shallow for... [Log in to read more]
