An “apocalyptic” drought has hit the Amazon as shocking pictures show areas almost completely dried up.
It comes as Brazil has been hit by its worst drought in 70 years. Forest fires have become out of control, capable of devastating large areas of protected habitats.
Authorities are also concerned that more than 1,000 towns in Brazil could be hit by the drought. With low humidity leading to conditions that would be akin to the Sahara.
The Amazon, a rich sanctuary of biodiversity, with its swathes of rainforest and wetlands, as well as the state of Sao Paulo have been particularly hit by forest fires.
Shocking pictures of the Madeira River – the largest tributary to the famous Amazon River – show large areas that were once home to vast swathes of water reduced to merely small lagoons. Some areas have become almost completely barren.
Drone images of the Jaquiri river in Manaquiri, Amazonas State, northern Brazil, also show it nearly completely dry.
A protected area of forest on the outskirts of Brasilia was recently engulfed by fire. The National Centre for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (Cemaden) says Brazil could be faced with even more dry weather.
People can be seen carrying drinking water along the sandbanks in northern Brazil, where the Parazinho community of Humaita has been particularly affected by smoke from the fire.
It says around 5 million square kilometres – 58 percent of Brazil – could be facing drought, with increasingly dry conditions expected in the coming years. Researchers believe this is due to a lack of rainfall since the summer of 2023.
Researcher Ana Paula do Amaral Cunha, from Cemaden, says humidity levels are “as low” as they are in the Sahara desert right now. And that the South American nation is in the midst of the “most extensive dry season for at least 70 years”.
The fine particulate matter index in the Humaita area has also reached 14 times the limit the World Health Organisation (WHO) says is healthy.
The index measures chemical compounds in the air – some of which can be seen as toxic. According to Gov.uk, a higher count is particularly bad for the elderly.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, visited the drought hit area this week. He said: “It seems to me that things are getting worse, year after year after year. In the Pantanal we’ve had the worst drought in the last 73 years.
“This is a problem that we have to fix because otherwise humanity is going to destroy our planet. We cannot destroy that which we rely on for our life.”