Breaking: Record-breaking drought triggers unprecedented decline in Amazon river levels - Scientists concerned!

Rivers in the heart of Brazil's Amazon rainforest have reached their lowest levels in over a century due to a historic drought. This drought is causing significant disruptions to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and is causing damage to the jungle ecosystem.

The port city of Manaus, which is the most populous city in the region and sits at the junction of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, reported a water level of 13.59 meters (44.6 feet) on Monday. This is a significant decrease from the water level of 17.60 meters recorded the previous year, as stated on its website. This is the lowest recorded water level in the last 121 years, surpassing the previous all-time low set in 2010.

Boats in the Amazon tributaries have been marooned due to their rapid drying, severely impacting the access to essential resources like food and water for isolated villages. Moreover, the elevated water temperatures are believed to have caused the untimely demise of over 100 endangered river dolphins.

There had been a prolonged absence of rain, causing great concern for Pedro Mendonca, a resident of a rainforest village near Manaus. Recently, his village received a sigh of relief when a Brazilian NGO arrived, delivering much-needed supplies to their riverside community.

"We have experienced a three-month drought in our community," Mendonca, a resident of Santa Helena do Ingles, located west of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, reported. "The heat during this dry spell is unprecedented, surpassing previous droughts."

Boats and houseboats stranded in a dry area of the Igarape do Taruma stream which flows into the Rio Negro river in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, Oct 16, 2023.

Bruno Kelly/Reuters

According to Cemaden, the Brazilian government disaster alert center, certain parts of the Amazon have experienced the lowest rainfall between July and September since 1980.

The Science Ministry of Brazil attributes this drought to the emergence of the El Niño climate phenomenon this year, which is causing drastic weather variations around the world. In a recent statement, the ministry anticipates that the drought will persist at least until December, when the impact of El Niño is predicted to reach its peak.

The civil defense agency in the state of Amazonas, where Manaus is situated, has reported that the drought has impacted 481,000 individuals as of Monday.

Late last week, Brazilian NGO Fundação Amazônia Sustentável deployed its workers to various villages in the arid region near Manaus, aiming to provide essential food and supplies. Due to the ongoing drought, the villagers' crucial access to food, drinking water, and medications, typically conveyed through the river, has been at stake.

A ruler that measures historical river water levels at the Rio Negro river in Manaus, Brazil, Oct 16, 2023.

Bruno Kelly/Reuters

Nelson Mendonca, a community leader in Santa Helena do Ingles, expressed that while certain areas can still be accessed by canoe, a significant number of boats are unable to transport supplies along the river. As a result, most goods are being delivered by tractors or by foot. He lamented, "This situation is less than ideal for us as we find ourselves practically isolated."

Luciana Valentin, a resident of Santa Helena do Ingles, expressed her concern regarding the sanitation of the local water supply following the depletion of water levels during the drought.

"The water has been causing illness in our children, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, and frequent fevers," she reported.