Brasilia [Brazil], October 4:Brazil's disaster monitoring center Cemaden said the country is suffering its worst drought since 1950.
About 70% of the country, including the capital Brasilia, has gone more than 140 consecutive days without rain, Reuters reported on October 3. Water levels in major tributaries of the Amazon have now dropped to record lows.
According to Brazil's Geological Survey, the Rio Negro, one of the Amazon's largest tributaries and the main route into Manaus, is losing water levels by up to 17.8 centimeters per day. This is affecting access to food supplies in the city and surrounding communities.
World Weather Attribution magazine said that the prolonged drought in Brazil is a consequence of El Nino and climate change . To overcome this, the Brazilian government has announced an investment of 90 million USD to dredge the Amazon River and its two main tributaries, the Solimoes and Madeira, over the next 5 years.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper