An Alarming Glimpse Into a Future of Historic Droughts
Record dry conditions in South America have led to wildfires, power cuts and water rationing. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up.
Record dry conditions in South America have led to wildfires, power cuts and water rationing. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up.
The banks of the Amazon River this month in Colombia. Colombia’s disaster risk agency recently said the flow of the Amazon River had been reduced by up to 90 percent because of a lack of rainfall. Credit... Luis Acosta/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Julie Turkewitz reported from Bogotá, Colombia, Ana Ionova from Rio de Janeiro, and José Maria León Cabrera from Quito, Ecuador.
Electricity cuts across an entire nation. A capital rationing water. A mayor encouraging people to shower together to save precious drops. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up.
