Severe droughts reduce river navigability and isolate communities in the Brazilian Amazon
Santos de Lima, Letícia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Silva, Francisco Eustáquio Oliveira e (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)
Dorio Anastácio, Paula Rosana (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)
Kolanski, Marina Marcela de Paula (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)
Pires Pereira, Ana Carolina (Université de Montpellier)
Menezes, Marianne Stéfany Resende (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)
Cunha, Evandro Landulfo Teixeira Paradela (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)
Macedo, Marcia Nunes (Woodwell Climate Research Center)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	The Amazon basin is experiencing severe droughts that are expected to worsen with climate change. Riverine communities are especially vulnerable to these extreme events. This study investigates the experiences of Brazilian Amazonian communities during droughts occurring from 2000-2020. We assess the distribution of settlements at risk of prolonged isolation during extreme low-water periods, along with impacts reported in digital news outlets. Using historic time series of river levels from 90 gauges, we look at how long droughts lasted in regions with reported impacts. Results indicate that the droughts in 2005, 2010, and 2016 were the most severe, with over an additional month of low water levels in those years. Such drought events routinely disrupt inland water transport and isolate local populations, limiting access to essential goods (food, fuel, medicine) and basic services (healthcare, education). Given this new reality, Amazon countries must develop long-term strategies for mitigation, adaptation, and disaster response.
Grants:	Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2020/BP-00156 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2021/SGR-00182 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	SDG 13 - Climate Action ; SDG 15 - Life on Land
Published in:	Communications earth & environment, Vol. 5 (July 2024) , art. 370, ISSN 2662-4435

DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01530-4

12 p, 2.0 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles