Amazon Rivers’ Levels

When we talk about rivers or bodies of water on this blog, it seems like we primarily talk about how due to rising sea levels (thanks climate change), these bodies’ level of water are rising too. Well, in the case of the Amazon rivers, this seems to be the opposite!

Currently, the Amazon rivers’ levels have hit an all time low in over a century. These changes are drastic too. From last year being 17.6 meters to now a whopping 13.59 meters.

This has many consequences of leaving boats stranded which cuts off food and water supplies to remote villages, and the high water temperatures are killing more than 100 already endangered river dolphins. These issues are a direct result of the lowered river levels, which is also a direct result from a severe drought in the region This drought is significantly impacting this region as temperatures are much higher than usual, and it has been months without rainfall.

On a broader scale, the way these situations are caused is through climate change. Climate change can contribute to changes in precipitation patterns, leading to more frequent and severe droughts in certain regions. Climate change reduces. precipitation means less water flowing into rivers and eventually reaching the oceans. Additionally climate change accelerates the El Niño tropical storm that occurs in this area.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, disrupting normal weather patterns. Climate change can intensify El Niño events by warming ocean temperatures, amplifying climate variability, altering atmospheric circulation, and affecting precipitation patterns. These changes contribute to more severe and frequent El Niño occurrences, with implications for global weather extremes, such as droughts and floods.

Overall, the Amazon rivers are facing a unique experience with sea levels in the world. Generally, many sea levels are rising, but here the opposite is true. This still poses significant issues to the people who live in this region as low levels have many negative implications. The entire situation is a chain reaction, stemming from climate change.

For the time being, neighboring countries need to offer support to those who are affected by the drought to ensure their safety. Country leaders need to also continue actively taking steps to reduce climate change and its negative effects.