Six die in floods as wild weather keeps hitting Brazil

Torrential rain and overflowing rivers continue to devastate northeastern Brazil, where thousands of people have been displaced. At least six people died because of the intense rain in the past weeks.

"The rainfall caused catastrophic floods and landslides that particularly affected vulnerable districts and people living in hillside settlements," the Brazilian Red Cross said.

Climate change has led to Brazil getting rainfall far beyond observed records, the Red Cross said, citing the World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists closely following the floods in Brazil.

On the ground, scientists are deeply concerned about the wild swings in the weather. Brazil grapples with fierce fires during the drought season, and with heavy rains and flooding in the southern hemisphere winter season, as is the case now.

"The high cost in damage and lives results from the lack of courage to protect the Permanent Protection Areas," William Magnusson, a senior researcher with the biodiversity unit of the National Institute of Amazonian Research in Manaus, the capital city of Brazil's Amazonas state, said.

He was referring to land that has been designated for protection due to its perceived importance in preserving vital ecosystems and biodiversity.

Although the Amazon rainforest lies about 2,700 kilometers northwest of the region now affected by the floods, any impact on the jungle has ripple effects thousands of kilometers away in following seasons, experts say.

"If the government followed its own zoning laws in relation to the forest code, more than 80 percent of the disasters and deaths could be avoided, to the great benefit of the economy," Magnusson said.

Ana Luiza Tunes, an environmental engineer and founder of the Brazilian environmental news portal Tunes Ambiental, said: "In addition to rising ocean levels, at higher temperatures there is greater evaporation and drying of the surface, potentially contributing to the greater intensity of rainfall and duration of drought.

During the first 11 days of July, 130 towns of the state of Rio Grande do Norte received rain totaling an amount that had been expected for the entire month.

The federal government issued a state of emergency for four cities of the state devastated by flooding. In the neighboring state of Alagoas, 50 municipalities were placed in a state of emergency as well.

"Hard rains have caused destruction in the region of Maceio," wrote Aurea Thomas, who organized an international fundraising campaign to deliver aid to the people of Maceio, capital of Alagoas. "More than 50,000 people's lives are being impacted by the floods. They are in dire need of food, clothing, bedding, mattresses and essentials."

The writer is a freelance writer for China Daily.