Water levels in Brazil reach critical historic lows

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Several tributaries of the Amazon River, one of the longest and most abundant in the world, are in a “critical water shortage situation” due to the historic drought affecting Brazil. teleSUR

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00:00Several affluents of the Amazon River are in a critical situation of water shortages

00:16due to the historic drought affecting Brazil.

00:19Authorities report that the Anchinco rivers, which feed the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant,

00:25are below minimum levels for this time of year.

00:28Belo Monte generates 11% of the energy of the National Integrated System, and records

00:32natural flows considerably lower than those registered in 2023, and closer to the historical

00:37minimum.

00:38As a consequence, local indigenous communities resort to using ice, carrying it as they walk

00:42on the sand of the dried-up Rio Negro.

00:46Reports indicate the possibility of reaching even more critical levels in October and November.

00:50I was born and raised in this community.

01:01We've rarely seen the river like this.

01:04Every seven or eight years it would dry up.

01:07But today we're seeing this drought come back to back.

01:11Last year the whole river dried up, and this year the whole river dried up again.

01:16Our biggest problem today is electricity, which we don't have.

01:21And because we don't have electricity, we have to walk a kilometer to bring the ice.

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