Record drought sends Amazon River water levels to all-time low

The Solimoes River, one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River that originates in the Peruvian Andes, has reached its lowest level ever recorded in the Brazilian town of Tabatinga on the border with Colombia.

The Solimoes' Tefé River branch also dried up completely on September 15. Nearby Lake Tefé, where more than 200 freshwater dolphins died during last year's drought, has also dried up, depriving the endangered species of its preferred habitat.

Floating houses are seen stranded on the Solimoes River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon River, near Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil, September 17. Photo: Reuters

The Solimoes River in Tabatinga was measured at 4.25 metres below average in the first half of September. In Tefé, the river was 2.92 metres below last year's average and is expected to continue to fall to its lowest level ever.

In Manaus, the Amazon's largest city, where the Solimoes River joins the Rio Negro to form the Amazon, water levels in the Rio Negro are approaching record lows reached last October.

“Last year we were in this situation in October,” said indigenous leader Kambeba. “This year the drought has gotten worse.”

"We are going through a crucial year. This year, some months have broken last year's records," said Greenpeace spokesman Romulo Batista, pointing to the Solimoes tributary that has turned into sand dunes.

A second consecutive year of severe drought has dried up much of Brazil's vegetation and sparked wildfires across the South American country, blanketing cities in smoke.

“Climate change is no longer a problem that we worry about in the future, 10 or 20 years from now. It is already here with much greater force than we think,” Batista added.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/han-han-ky-luc-khien-muc-nuoc-song-amazon-xuong-thap-nhat-moi-thoi-dai-post312912.html