MANAUS, Brazil (AP) – One of the Amazon River’s main tributaries has fallen to its lowest level on record, reflecting the severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country, Brazil’s geology agency says. The agency announced on Friday.
The water level in the Negro River at the port of Manaus on Friday was 12.66 meters, compared to a normal level of about 21 meters. This is the lowest since measurements began 122 years ago. The previous record low was recorded last year, around the end of October.
Water levels in the Negro River may fall further in the coming weeks, based on forecasts of low rainfall in upstream areas, according to forecasts from the Geological Agency. Andre Martinelli, the agency’s hydrology manager in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river is expected to continue receding until the end of this month.
Water levels in the Brazilian Amazon always rise and fall depending on the rainy and dry seasons, but this year’s dry part is much worse than usual. All major rivers in the Amazon basin are at critical water levels, including the Madeira River, the Amazon’s longest tributary.
The Negro River drains approximately 10% of the Amazon Basin and is the sixth largest river in the world by volume. Manaus, the largest city in the rainforest, is where the Negro meets the Amazon River.
A porter carries bananas transported by boat across the dry stretch of the River Negro during a severe drought at the port of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, October 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
A boat runs aground on the Negro River in the port of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, on Friday, October 4, 2024, during a severe drought. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
Francisco Ferreira Pinheiro, a longshoreman, reads a meter rod in the Negro River at the port of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on Friday, October 4, 2024, during a severe drought. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
Porters transport goods transported by boat across the dry stretch of the River Negro at the port of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on Friday, October 4, 2024, during a severe drought. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
On Friday, October 4, 2024, the ground is exposed along the Negro River in the port of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, during a severe drought. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
Porters carry goods arriving by boat down the steps of the Negro River in the port of Manaus, Brazil, on Friday, October 4, 2024, during a severe drought. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
For local residents, the drought has made basic daily life impossible. Gracita Barbosa, 28, works as a cashier at a floating shop on the River Negro. She is unemployed because the boats that used to be parked on the river are no longer navigable due to low water levels. Barbosa is no longer able to bathe in the river and has to travel long distances to collect drinking water.
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Sapesoa newspaper reported from São Paulo.
