Brazil is losing its natural surface water primarily due to climate change and land conversion, with 400,000 hectares lost from 2022 to 2023. Since 1985, the country has lost around 2.4 million hectares of its rivers and lakes. The Amazon basin, essential for climate regulation, has seen significant reductions in surface water, necessitating urgent adaptive water management and public policy changes as Brazil prepares for COP30.
Brazil, possessing 12 percent of the world’s freshwater resources largely concentrated in the Amazon, is experiencing a concerning decline in its natural surface water. The MapBiomas monitoring platform reported a loss of 400,000 hectares of aquatic surface from 2022 to 2023, equivalent to Rhode Island’s area. Over the past 16 years, only 2022 demonstrated an increase in surface water.
Since 1985, Brazil has diminished approximately 2.4 million hectares of rivers and lakes due to various factors including drought, urbanization, and excessive groundwater extraction. Juliano Schirmbeck, the report’s coordinator, asserted, “The dynamics of land occupation and use, along with extreme climate events caused by global warming, are making Brazil drier.” He emphasized the urgency of implementing adaptive water management strategies and public policies to counteract this troubling trend.
As Brazil prepares to host the COP30 UN climate conference in November in Belém, it is critical to address these pressing issues. The Amazon, which constitutes nearly two-thirds of Brazil’s surface water, is essential for climate regulation, as it absorbs substantial amounts of carbon dioxide.
The report highlights a dramatic reduction in surface water within the Amazon, which decreased by 4.5 million hectares compared to the previous year, the size of Denmark. The Pantanal wetlands have suffered significantly, with water surface levels in 2024 reported to be 61 percent below the average since 1985, largely due to droughts and wildfires.
Despite a 54 percent increase in human-made water bodies, such as reservoirs and dams since 1985, this has not compensated for the loss of natural freshwater sources, indicating a critical environmental challenge for Brazil.
In conclusion, Brazil is facing a significant decline in natural surface water due to climate change and land conversion, with alarming statistics highlighting the severity of the situation. The need for adaptive water management and strong public policies is critical to reversing this trend. As the country approaches the COP30 UN climate conference, addressing these challenges is paramount for the preservation of its invaluable water resources.
Original Source: www.ndtv.com
