In 2024, the Amazon region continues to experience severe drought conditions, compounding the environmental crisis that began in 2023. The region, known as the world’s largest rainforest and a critical component of Earth’s ecological balance, has seen a drastic decline in water levels across its major rivers. The Brazilian government was forced to declare a state of emergency in six cities as the water level in the Madeira River in Porto Velho fell to just 48 cm by September 2024, far below its usual 332 cm. This unprecedented drought, coupled with record-breaking wildfires, has sparked concern worldwide.
Impact of the Drought on Biodiversity and Communities
The drought has taken a devastating toll on both wildlife and the human population in the Amazon. The region, home to around 47 million people, relies heavily on its rivers for transportation, particularly Indigenous and riverine communities who depend on these waterways for access to food, fuel, and medical supplies. With river levels dropping to historic lows, these populations have been cut off from essential resources, amplifying the challenges they face in an already remote and often underserved region.
Biodiversity in the Amazon has also been deeply affected. The rainforest’s complex ecosystem, which includes countless species of plants, animals, and insects, is highly sensitive to changes in water availability. As water bodies shrink and disappear, the habitats of aquatic species are threatened, and forest wildlife faces the added danger of dehydration and food scarcity. The drought has caused ecosystems that are vital to maintaining the Amazon’s ecological balance to begin collapsing, threatening the survival of species already at risk due to deforestation and human activity.
Record-Breaking Wildfires
The drought has also triggered an alarming increase in wildfires across the Amazon. In July 2023, there were 11,500 fires reported, but this number skyrocketed to 38,000 in August 2023—marking the highest level of wildfires in over two decades. These fires are not only devastating the rainforest but are also releasing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Carbon emissions from the Amazon reached their highest levels since 2005, further exacerbating the global climate crisis.
Wildfires, fueled by the drier conditions, are devastating large tracts of forest, and the smoke generated by these fires is severely impacting air quality in surrounding areas. This increase in fires is a vicious cycle—burning trees release carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming, which in turn leads to even drier conditions, increasing the likelihood of more fires.
What is Causing the Drought?
The Amazon’s current drought can largely be attributed to climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon, which significantly reduces rainfall in the region. The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a crucial weather pattern that dictates rainfall in the tropics, has shifted further north due to rising ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic. This has resulted in a severe reduction in rainfall across the Amazon basin, drying up rivers and stressing local ecosystems.
The 2024 drought is part of a troubling pattern, as the Amazon has experienced more frequent and intense droughts over the past few decades. Significant droughts in 2005, 2010, and 2015-2016 serve as stark reminders of the ongoing shift toward a hotter, drier Amazon. In just 25 years, the region has faced four severe droughts, reflecting a disturbing trend of climate instability in one of the world’s most vital ecological regions.
Long-Term Consequences of the Drought
The long-term effects of the current drought in the Amazon are likely to be profound. Drier conditions not only increase the risk of wildfires but also lead to a higher mortality rate among trees. This reduces the forest’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, making it less effective as a carbon sink—a critical function of the Amazon that helps mitigate the effects of global warming.
As more trees die and ecosystems falter, the rainforest could reach a tipping point, after which it may not be able to recover fully. The degradation of the Amazon would not only harm the plants and animals that depend on it but would also have catastrophic global consequences. The Amazon plays a pivotal role in regulating the Earth’s climate, and its decline could accelerate global warming, making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.
A Call for Action
The ongoing drought and wildfires in the Amazon are clear indicators that the world is facing a severe environmental crisis. The region’s biodiversity, its people, and its role as a global carbon sink are all at risk. Addressing this crisis requires urgent, coordinated global action to reduce carbon emissions, protect natural habitats, and support the communities that rely on the Amazon for their survival.
Without decisive intervention, the Amazon—often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth”—could be irrevocably damaged, with dire consequences not only for the region but for the entire planet.