(Bogotá) – The Amazon River, which flows in southeastern Colombia on the border with Peru and Brazil, has seen its level drop by 90% over the past three months due to drought, the government announced Thursday.
“Water levels have dropped by 80 to 90 percent in the past three months, due to climate change-induced drought in the country,” the National Unit for Disaster Management (UNGRD) said in a statement.
The Amazon Basin covers nine countries in South America: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.
According to UNGRD, “the falling level of the Amazon River is impacting food supplies and navigation for indigenous communities in the department” of the same name in Colombia.
At least 7,400 people were affected by the drop in water levels, in an area where local indigenous communities travel mainly by boat. Pictures taken by AFP in recent days in Leticia, the region's capital, show many small boats stranded and large islands of land and grass exposed by low water levels.
The city of Leticia, located in the tri-border region, is of fundamental importance for local trade, thanks to the Amazon River. Located in the far southeast of Colombia, it is geographically completely isolated by forests, with no roads connecting it to the rest of the country. Residents say this is the worst drought they can remember in half a century.
South America is experiencing a long drought this year linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon, which has led to water and electricity rationing, as well as historic forest fires in many countries.
The outbreak is currently active in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia. The Colombian capital, Bogotá, is also subject to water rationing due to the low level of reserves in the surrounding mountains.
