Environmental Impact: Droughts in the Amazon Basin


Environmental Impact: Droughts in the Amazon Basin 

Climate change has already had an impact on many different communities across the world. The Amazon Basin is no expectation. Wildfires, droughts and loss of biodiversity have heavily affected the region as we continue to destroy our home planet. The Amazon Basin is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. It also is considered the “lungs of the world”. This is due to how much oxygen it produces and carbon dioxide it takes in. Carbon sequence is also big part of why this region is so important.  

Rain is a huge reason for what makes rainforest so diverse and makes this region what it is. These droughts are becoming more extreme with rising temperatures, which is affecting the livelihood of people living in the area. It decreases their crop yield and affects the hydro power causing power outages in the area. This is affecting multiple countries such as Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. World Weather Attribution


In this diagram we can see what regions of the amazon are hit the hardest by droughts. We can see the different levels of drought from the most extreme D4 to the least extreme D1.

Fishermen have also been affected by this with less fish being found in the Amazon itself. Fish have been found rotting at the riverbank along with river dolphins after a two-month drought in the region. There are many different causes of droughts in the region. One thing they have in common is they are from human action. One example is deforestation which takes moisture out of the air. This is contributing to wildfire in the region which adds to the damage in the area. 100,000 hectares of rainforest have been lost to wildfires. Amazon suffering worst drought in decades
 
We can see the river bank becoming dry and aired. Amazon River is a lifeline for the region and drought can impact the water levels of it.

Indigenous people of the Amazon Basin have raised concerns about the water quality caused by these droughts. How people in their communities have become sick after drinking water and how they must search for clean water. This is becoming a humanitarian crisis too and along with the other effects of the droughts. The Amazon is not just essential for the rainforest, but the people rely on it for water and food. Rainforest Foundation US claims that Indigenous "Are watching their rivers disappear at unpresidential rates." These are people that rely on the river the most and are being affected the most.
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5 comments:

  1. Yusuf RandongkirJanuary 8, 2025 at 11:19 PM

    This is wild. The Amazon’s like the heartbeat of the planet, and seeing it hit so hard by droughts is rough. Climate change, deforestation, wildfires it’s all connected, you know? The impact on people, wildlife, and even the water... it’s heavy stuff. We gotta step up and protect this place before it’s too late.

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  2. Olivia AndersonJanuary 9, 2025 at 8:36 AM

    Probably every person on earth has heard of the amazon and how plentiful it is with water, to hear the actual current state of it is so sad. It really shows how human behavior is detrimental for the planet. There is not much we in Michigan can do for the amazon, but we need to find a way to help out the world so everything like this doesn't get worse.

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  3. Maddy R.January 9, 2025 at 9:31 AM

    This is so sad to see. I wonder if there are any re-planting efforts underway? It feels so menial sometimes but I can't help but hope that we can recoup some by redeveloping forests.

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  4. Abby CrockerJanuary 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM

    The Amazon has always been an insanely sad consequence of global warming because of its biodiversity and its major usage as a carbon sink. I like that you involved the Indigenous people’s take on what is happening in their homeland and more importantly their water supply. I have never thought about the decreased health of their water.

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  5. Allen WebbJanuary 12, 2025 at 4:41 PM

    I share the concern of the other commenters. The drought of course can lead to fires, and to the rain forest becoming a savanna. And, deforestation (often for the sake of farming and cattle) by reducing the trees also causes a reduction in moisture for rainful. (Can you get the background to be black?)

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