Worst drought on record lowers Amazon rivers to lowest levels

The worst drought on record has reduced the water level of the rivers in the Amazon basin to historic lows, in some cases drying up riverbeds that were previously accessible waterways.

The Solimoes, among the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River whose waters come from the Peruvian Andes, has fallen to its least expensive level on record in Tabatinga, the Brazilian town on the border with Colombia.

Downriver in Tefé, a branch of the Solimoes has actually dried up entirely, as seen reporters who flew over the river on Sunday.

The neighboring Lake Tefé, where more than 200 freshwater dolphins passed away in last year's dry spell, has actually also dried up, depriving the endangered pink mammals of a preferred habitat.

We are going through an important year, stated Greenpeace spokesperson Romulo Batista, pointing to where the riverbed of the branch of the Solimoes had actually turned to mounds of sand. This. year, several months have broken in 2015's records.

The second-consecutive year of vital dry spell has parched. much of Brazil's plant life and triggered wildfires across South. American countries, masking cities in clouds of smoke.

Environment modification is no longer something to stress over in the. future, 10 or 20 years from now. It's here and it's here with. far more force than we anticipated, Batista included.

The Solimoes in Tabatinga was determined at 4.25 meters below. average for the first half of September.

At Tefé, the river was 2.92 meters listed below the average level. for the same 2 weeks in 2015 and is expected to drop even more. to its lowest-ever.

In Manaus, the Amazon's largest city, where the Solimoes. joins the Rio Negro to form the Amazon River correct, the level. of the Rio Negro is approaching the record low reached in. October in 2015.

Last year, we remained in this scenario by October, said. Indigenous leader Kambeba. This year, the dry spell has gotten. even worse..

(source: Reuters)