amazon basin
Drought crisis in the Amazon sparks urgent responses
The Amazon region is experiencing severe drought conditions earlier than expected, threatening water supplies and increasing fire risks across several countries.
In short:
- The Amazon Basin, holding a fifth of the world's fresh water, is seeing critically low river levels, prompting emergency measures across Bolivia, Peru and Brazil.
- Brazil's federal water agency declared water shortages in the Madeira and Purus basins, affecting a region nearly as large as Mexico.
- Fires are on the rise, with 25,000 incidents recorded, the most in nearly 20 years, exacerbating the threat to local communities and agriculture.
Key quote:
“It’s been two years in a row of extreme events.”
— Julie Messias, Acre's secretary of environment
Why this matters:
Early drought conditions in the Amazon impact the region’s ecosystem and economy, threatening water supply and food security. This situation could lead to increased forest fires, affecting global climate patterns and biodiversity.
Bird populations in the Amazon are declining without clear cause
Bird populations in the Amazon's Yasuní Biosphere Reserve have mysteriously dropped by half over 23 years, with climate change being a potential culprit.
In short:
- The number of birds in Ecuador's Yasuní Biosphere Reserve has halved, according to a recent study.
- Researchers suspect climate change as the primary cause, despite the area being largely undisturbed by human activity.
- Similar declines have been observed in other tropical regions, indicating a broader environmental issue.
Key quote:
“There’s something called the dawn chorus, which is typical in tropical forests where lots of birds sing just before dawn. And over the last 10 years, that has just been going quieter and quieter with very few birds singing in the morning.”
— John Blake, University of Florida professor
Why this matters:
This decline in bird populations, even in pristine habitats, is indicative of the far-reaching impacts of climate change, raising alarms about the future of biodiversity in tropical ecosystems. For more, read our series, Winged Warnings: What birds are telling us about our planet's health.