What is the problem with the water in the Amazon rainforest?
Many Amazonian communities are dependent on water from the forest, however, population growth and high deforestation levels make water increasingly scarce.
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Falling water levels in the rivers and lakes of the Brazilian Amazon are restricting the flow of ships and boats, the main form of transport in the region and the only means of access to health and education facilities for many communities.
Extreme drought drives Amazon River port to lowest level on record. Amid extreme drought across South America exacerbated by climate-change related heat extremes and El Niño, major tributaries of the Amazon River are reporting record-low water levels.
The Amazon river carries a lot of sediment (particles of mud and sand), which gives the water a muddy-brown color. Its largest tributary (branch), the Rio Negro, or black river, is filled with chemicals washed out of soil and plants, making the water very dark.
Water is very heavy. A 12 pk of 16.9 oz bottles weighs over 25#. So UPS still charges a lot to ship, often more than the actual water cost. The seller or Amazon still has to pay that to UPS, yet not get paid by Amazon or the buyer, so they just roll it into the price to not lose money.
Tackling these challenges necessitates coordinated action on local, national, and global levels. “We need immediate support. The Amazon river is drying up in the worst possible way, and all that's left for our Indigenous brothers to drink is dirty water,” says Hernández.