The Amazon, the world’s largest river and a key transportation route, is facing a huge problem. In a place where roads are almost nonexistent, people rely on boats, ferries, and canoes to get around. But climate change is making things harder than ever, as the region is experiencing a severe drought.
Cilene Santos, a tourist guide from Brazil, shared her worries with CNN, saying, “There are sandbanks everywhere, and boats risk hitting them, damaging their propellers.”
This drought is also affecting many children in the area. UNICEF recently reported that over 400,000 kids are feeling the impact. More than 1,700 schools in Brazil’s Amazon region have been closed or are unreachable due to the low water levels.
The effects of climate change are impossible to ignore. Former US President Joe Biden recently flew over the Amazon and saw firsthand the devastation. From the sky, the once vibrant rainforest now looks like a desert, with huge sand dunes instead of lush greenery.
Bram Ebus, an expert on the Amazon, pointed out how important this moment is, saying, “For the first time, both Colombia and Brazil, two major countries in the Amazon, have progressive leaders. This is a chance for them to work together and come up with real plans to protect this vital ecosystem.”
As the Amazon faces one of its toughest challenges, people around the world are hoping for quick action to protect this crucial part of the planet.
