Severe drought returns to the Amazon earlier than expected

Blackwater, left, pollutes the Acre River near Rio Branco (Marcos Vicentti/AP)

Holder of one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, the Amazon is beginning the dry season with many of its rivers already at critically low levels, prompting governments to anticipate contingency measures to address issues ranging from disrupted navigation to increasing forest fires.

“The Amazon Basin is facing one of the most severe droughts in recent years in 2024, with significant impacts on several member countries,” said a technical note issued on Wednesday by the Amazon Co-operation Treaty Organisation, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.