River level at Amazon rainforest port hits 122-year low

MANAUS: The river port in the Amazon rainforest's largest city of Manaus hit its lowest level since 1902, as a drought drains waterways and snarls transport of grain exports and essential supplies that are the region's lifeline. Below-average rainfall - even through the rainy season - has plagued the Amazon and much of South America since last year, also feeding the worst wildfires in more than a decade in Brazil and Bolivia. Researchers say climate change is the main culprit. Scientists predict the Amazon region may not fully recover moisture levels until 2026. Last year, the drought became a humanitarian crisis, as people reliant on rivers were stranded without food, water or medicine.

This year authorities are already on alert. In hard-hit Amazonas state, at least 62 municipalities are under states of emergency with more than half a million people affected, according to the state's civil defence corps. "This is now the most severe drought in over 120 years of measurement at the Port of Manaus," said Valmir Mendonca, the port's head of operations, who said the river level is likely to keep falling for another week or two.

With the region never fully recovering due to weaker-than-usual seasonal rains, many of the impacts of the drought last year look set to repeat or reach new extremes. The Port of Manaus measured the Rio Negro river at 12.66 metres on Friday, according to its website, surpassing the previous all-time low recorded last year and still falling rapidly. The Rio Negro is a major tributary of the Amazon River, the world's largest river by volume. The port sits near the "meeting of the waters," where the black water of the Negro meets the sandy-coloured Solimoes, which also hit a record low. — Reuters