EBN- The Amazon River, the largest and one of the most emblematic rivers in the world, is now in a state of emergency.
Colombian and Brazilian authorities have declared a state of emergency to deal with the most severe drought in the last 50 years. Travel between cities has become almost impossible.
Ironically, the lack of drinking water has now become a desperate reality in a region rich in water resources. This river is threatened with disappearance with the worst drought in more than 50 years.
The Brazilian newspaper Diario Libre indicated that the population and authorities are currently in a state of emergency, while transportation has been paralyzed in the Amazon region.
The most severe drought in the past 50 years
In Colombia, the Amazon River is experiencing its most severe drought in the past 50 years, seriously affecting communities in the region. The crisis has paralyzed river transport, vital for connecting populations, and has exposed the clear shortage of drinking water in a region rich in water resources.
Local authorities and residents of the Colombian Amazon remain on alert in the face of a situation that is putting the survival of thousands of people at risk.
Thousands of residents of the Iquitos department, in the Loreto region, are already suffering the consequences of the early summer predicted by the Peruvian National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (Senamhi) on the Peruvian jungle.
The weather conditions have caused a sharp drop in the level of the Amazon River, stranding boats and complicating river transport in a region where rivers are the main means of communication.
The meteorological agency reported that the water level of the Amazon River has dropped by about 2.50 meters below the normal average, reaching 106.87 meters above sea level. However, the river is approaching levels recorded 14 years ago, when it reached the historic minimum of 105.38 meters.
The situation is especially evident in the port of Masusa, where heavy cargo ships are stuck on its banks, unable to continue their journey due to the low water level, as a result of the absence of rains that will continue for a few more months.
This will cause the flow to reach historical lows, similar to what was recorded in 2010. According to Marco Paredes, president of the Senami region in Iquitos, if the situation continues like this, we could face “the biggest drought in the last 40 years.”
