A report indicates Brazil is losing its natural surface water due to climate change and land conversion, with a loss of 400,000 hectares from 2023 to 2024. This deterioration threatens the Amazon and Pantanal biomes, warning of the urgent need for improved water management policies as Brazil prepares for the COP30 UN climate conference.
Brazil, which contains 12 percent of the world’s freshwater resources, primarily in the Amazon, is experiencing a severe loss in natural surface water. A report from the MapBiomas monitoring platform highlights a significant decline, with an area equivalent to Rhode Island—400,000 hectares—lost between 2023 and 2024. This long-term trend has persisted with only one year, 2022, showing an increase during the past 16 years, and approximately 2.4 million hectares of rivers and lakes have disappeared since 1985 due to various factors including climate change and urban expansion.
Juliano Schirmbeck, the coordinator of the MapBiomas Agua report, emphasized that “the dynamics of land occupation and use, along with extreme climate events caused by global warming, are making Brazil drier.” The findings call for urgent adaptive water management strategies and public policies aimed at counteracting the ongoing trend.
As Brazil prepares to host the COP30 UN climate conference in Belem this November, the report underscores the critical role the Amazon plays in regulating the climate, absorbing significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Alarmingly, the Amazon’s surface water decreased by 4.5 million hectares in just one year, equivalent to an area the size of Denmark. The Pantanal wetlands, heavily impacted by drought and wildfires, recorded a 61 percent reduction in water surface compared to the 1985 average. Despite an increase of 54 percent in man-made water bodies like reservoirs and dams since 1985, this has failed to mitigate the loss of natural freshwater sources.
The report reveals alarming statistics about the drying of Brazil’s freshwater reserves, urging the implementation of immediate and effective water management policies. It highlights the critical state of the Amazon and Pantanal biomes, both integral to environmental stability. As Brazil approaches an international climate conference, the findings serve as a vital reminder of the urgent need for sustainable practices to preserve natural water sources.
Original Source: www.bssnews.net
