Extreme drought isolates Amazon communities in Brazil
By Bruno Kelly
MANAUS, Brazil, Oct 2 (Reuters) -Francisco Mateus da Silva, 67, spent an hour walking across sandbanks and dry riverbeds where he lives in the Amazon to fetch food and water amid the worst drought on record in the region, which has paralyzed river transportation.
"It's very difficult for us because we are used to traveling here on the river. The river is our street, and without water we can't even leave. We are practically isolated," Silva told Reuters.
The state of Amazonas has 62 municipalities in a state of emergency because of the drought, and the smaller, neighboring state of Acre, another 21. Around 70% of all cities in the region are affected by the drought, almost 300 under severe or extreme conditions, according to Cemaden, the federal government's national center for monitoring natural disasters.
Silva said the drought this year and last year "were very severe and left a lot of damage."
Elineide Rodrigues also lives in the same community, Sao Francisco do Maina, between the Amazon River and the Puraquequara lagoon, not far from Manaus, the state capital.
Normally, she would cross the lagoon by boat to go shopping in the capital but now that the lagoon has been reduced to mere centimeters of water, she must walk the path.
"Our biggest problem is getting around so we can do our shopping, so the students can get to school. We have to walk kilometers these days," she said.
The Negro River, main access to Manaus, is already 20 centimeters (8 inches) from the record low it reached last year, which is already affecting the access to supplies in the city and the communities around it.
Reporting by Bruno Kelly, writing by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Aurora Ellis
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
