Brazil grapples with extreme-weather crisis on two fronts

Extreme weather in Brazil has resulted in a drought in the heart of the Amazon rainforest that has been declared a state of emergency, even as the country's south deals with the impact of severe storms and devastating floods.

A state of emergency has been declared in all 62 municipalities of Amazonas state, one of Brazil's largest, as a result of the drought, while Parana state on the Atlantic coast has been hit by storms and floods. The causes of both weather events are probably identical.

"Several impacts are hitting at the same time: increasing temperatures, decreasing evapotranspiration and biotic pump activity due to deforestation, the Atlantic dipole, the hotter waters in the northern Atlantic, and, of course, El Nino," said Rob de Laet, a member of the Eco Restoration Alliance and fellow at the Global Evergreening Alliance.

According to local authorities, about 598,000 people have been affected by the drought in Amazonas, and storms, gales and hailstorms hammered 161 municipalities in Parana between Oct 3 and Nov 2.

"Certain areas tend to get more precipitation during El Nino years, and this is exactly that area," De Laet told China Daily, noting that in the Horn of Africa, a three-year drought has given way to local floods.

Sao Paulo state, which borders Parana, has also been affected. On Nov 3, about 2.5 million people in Sao Paulo city were left without electricity, as winds of over 100 kilometers per hour downed trees and power lines. As of Nov 6, about 500,000 people were still without any electricity. Eight people died in the storms.

Meanwhile, in the Amazon, the government and civil society are battling a severe drought.

"The impacts of drought in the Amazon, an area that contains around 10 percent of the world's biodiversity, are extreme," Helga Correa, conservation specialist at the World Wildlife Fund in Brazil, said.

"What we are seeing this year is not far off the regular fluctuation that occurs annually in the region and leads to a drastic reduction in river levels, increases the risk of fires and air temperatures, making living conditions in the Amazon challenging," Correa said.

The drought is affecting wildlife, with many animals dying, and the locals who rely on the river for their economic activities being affected, Correa said.

In the Tefe region, it has been reported that over 170 dolphins have died. Investigations are continuing, but researchers believe that the deaths were caused by the surge in water temperatures in two lakes.

"We are collaborating on actions to provide food for people affected by the drought. At this time, all help is needed to reduce the immediate impact on communities and populations, and these actions are only possible with the donation of resources and collaboration with local partners," Correa said.

Lucas Ferrante, a researcher in the graduate program in zoology at the Federal University of Amazonas, said the problem of drought in the Amazon is worsening due to anthropogenic climate change.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.