Amazon drought emergency widens

Brazil has adopted emergency measures to deal with one of the Amazon region's worst droughts in decades. A state of emergency has been declared in 25 towns as key waterways and rivers are left completely parched, the Amazonas state government said on Saturday. So far, the severe months-long drought has affected 40,000 people in communities who depend on the South American rainforest for sustenance. In response, the government has airlifted six tonnes of food and 200 tonnes of donations to the stricken villages. However, according to officials, aid delivery has been slow due to the low water levels in rivers, which prevent large vessels from navigating them. "The boats cannot navigate, and then the transportation can only be done by canoe. In some places, people were running out of food," Anisio Saturnino, a representative of one of the municipalities under emergency rule, said. Besides the lack of food, many people are suffering intestinal problems caused by poor water quality. Ane Alencar, a researcher with the Amazon Institute for Environmental Research (IPAM), said the drought affecting the Amazon is an extreme weather event resulting from El Nino, which occurred in late 2009 with its fallout being felt this year. She said the drought in the state of Amazonas has been more frequent and more intense than before.