2023-10-09 21:52:00
The vessel was stuck to the rocks due to the drought of the Negro River, on the main shore of São Gabriel da Cachoeira | João Claudio Moreira/Disclosure
The impacts of the drought in Amazonas are felt in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in the northwest of the state, in one of the most protected areas in the Amazon. Residents live with a lack of some basic items in urban areas. In the indigenous territory, the streams are receding, making access to the fields difficult.
“The sensation is that the water is boiling”, reports Rosivaldo Miranda, from the Piratapuya people, Wayuri Network communicator and resident of Açaí-Paraná, on the Lower Uaupés River.
On Tuesday (03/10), the City of São Gabriel da Cachoeira declared an emergency situation for a period of 90 days in the areas affected by drought. The white sand beaches are increasingly spreading, bringing uncertainty and fear to those in urban areas and those living in communities in indigenous territories, as the dry period is just beginning.
Decree number 21, signed by Mayor Clóvis Moreira Saldanha, is based on the Western Amazon Hydrometeorological Monitoring Bulletin, from the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), which informs that “the levels recorded in these stations are below the minimum range already recorded for the period”.
According to CPRM data (see table below), in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, the lowest level of the river was recorded in February 1992, when it reached 330 cm. On Friday, October 6, the Rio Negro reached a level of 602 cm. In 2022, also in October, the river level was 727 cm.
With the municipal decree, the city hall declares that it needs additional support from the State and the Union, with technical, human, material and financial resources to face the drought. It also informs that the situation causes social and economic adversities that exceed the municipality’s budgetary capacity to carry out the necessary actions to restore normality. The Municipal Protection and Civil Defense Coordination will mobilize agencies to respond to the problem.
Last week, residents of São Gabriel da Cachoeira who looked for mineral water to buy could no longer find it. People are stocking up on groceries such as rice, pasta and salt. On the waterfront, one of the city’s most traditional restaurants did not open on Sunday due to a lack of ingredients to prepare the dishes.
This situation happens because the city’s water supply is mainly done via ferries and, with the river dry, navigation is reduced or interrupted. The vessels known as recreation – which are the network boats that transport passengers – are no longer traveling up the river. Ferries carrying goods are still making trips, but with difficulties.
A small boat follows ahead indicating a safe route for a ferry with cargo, on the Rio Negro, in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro. The procedure is common in times of drought |Ana Amélia Hamdan/ISA
In one of the main ports of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, the tide exposed a long strip of garbage, as reported by Wayuri Network communicators Juliana Albuquerque, from the Baré people, and Adelson Ribeiro, from the Tukano people. They published the photos on WhatsApp and, with the images circulating, action is being taken to clean up the stretch.
A similar situation can be seen in Barcelos, on the Middle Rio Negro, with dirt and sewage being exposed
Dirt exposed in one of the main ports of São Gabriel. Extreme drought poses risks to health and the environment|Juliana Albuquerque, Baré people/Wayuri NetworkIndigenous territory
Indigenous leader and educator, Juvêncio Cardoso, known as Dzoodzo Baniwa, follows the work of the Indigenous Environmental Management Agents (AIMAs), who monitor the climate issue. In 2022, he reported extreme flooding in the Ayari River region, in the Canada community, where he lives. Now, the region is preparing for extreme drought.
“Regarding the issue of drought, we have encountered navigation difficulties. There are residents who use some streams to access their fields. And during this period it is difficult to navigate the stream, making people walk further to access their fields. The streams are unnavigable and require more time and effort to reach the fields,” he says.
This situation is happening on the Ayari River, in the Içana River region (Negro Basin). According to Dzoodzo, the river level is low, but still within normal limits. He is also concerned about the impact of high temperatures on the health of indigenous people, especially women, who spend more time in the fields.
The other issue is in relation to dry soil. “As there are many days without rain, the soil is becoming drier. And if it continues for longer, it will impact the life of the plantations. Mainly in the pepper plant, in the cube. If it takes too long (drought), it will get complicated. Here the soil is sandy, we have the capinarana forest, it is more vulnerable”, he says.
Dzoodzo says that the oldest people report that there was an extreme drought in the Ayari, which made navigation even in small canoes difficult. “We haven’t yet experienced these moments from the past, but we don’t doubt that it can happen. It’s good that we stay alert for extreme situations”, he highlights.
The advancement of the sand strip already prevents the approach of even small boats on the main shore of São Gabriel da Cachoeira|Ana Amélia Hamdan/ISA The level of the Ayari river is falling, with streams becoming unnavigable|Walter Lopes da Silva/AIMA
Resident of the community of Açaí-Paraná, in Baixo Uaupés, Rosivaldo Lima Miranda, Piratapuya people, reports very high temperatures and an unhealthy situation. “Due to the drought, the water is boiling, it is hot enough to drink. We have diarrhea and a headache. And more dirt is coming down from the streams. We went to try to dig a well on the riverbank to find white water to drink and be healthy for our children and the elderly.”
Some basic items are already missing. “With the drought, boats start to stop sailing. And it is through the boats that we exchange food to have the basics, such as sugar, soap and fuel. And the condition becomes more precarious,” he says. “Uaupés is huge, but when this drought happens, it goes down very quickly from one day to the next. We had the great drought in 2017 and there is still a little more to do to reach that mark. It’s a precarious situation, with the hot sun, hot water temperatures and the river falling (drying) with each passing day”, he summarizes.
According to the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), the Amazon region is going through a severe drought, with chances of its effects and impacts being reflected in 2024, due to the El Niño process, which will probably reach its peak at the end of 2023, impacting the rainy season in the region and possibly resulting in negative precipitation anomalies.
Scenes of dead fish and completely dry rivers in other regions of the Amazon have drawn worldwide attention due to the social drama and impacts caused by the climate emergency.
“Here, in the Upper Rio Negro, the sandbanks are out and we have an environmental impact with climate change. This is already happening, it is our present. It’s no longer from the future”, adds Rosivaldo Miranda.
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