Balancing act: Threatened by climate change, Panama Canal has big plans to deal with drought

MARIANNA PARRAGA and ELIDA MORENO, of Reuters, report on the Rio Indio dam project amid concerns for a population that faces displacement…
Postcards: Paraguay’s drying river stokes water tensions between fishers and farmers

DANIELA DESANTIS and CESAR OLMEDO, of Reuters, report…
Colombia and Ecuador fight to save vital wetlands amid drought

Guatavita, Colombia/Paluguillo, Ecuador Reuters Rural communities in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador are fighting to protect fragile high-altitude wetlands that regulate the area’s water cycles, as sharp water and energy rationing hit both nations. Colombia and Ecuador – both largely dependent on hydroelectric dams for energy – have been battered by a strong El […]
River level at Amazon rainforest port hits 122-year low amid drought

Manaus, Brazil Reuters The river port in the Amazon rainforest’s largest city of Manaus on Friday hit its lowest level since 1902, as a drought drains waterways and snarls transport of grain exports and essential supplies that are the region’s lifeline. Below-average rainfall – even through the rainy season – has plagued the Amazon and […]
Extreme drought isolates Amazon communities in Brazil

Manaus, Brazil Reuters Francisco Mateus da Silva, 67, spent an hour walking across sandbanks and dry riverbeds where he lives in the Amazon to fetch food and water amid the worst drought on record in the region, which has paralysed river transportation. “It’s very difficult for us because we are used to traveling here on […]
Ecuador cuts power in half of its provinces amid historic drought

Quito, Ecuador Reuters Ecuador’s government has announced the suspension of electricity service for nine hours on Sunday in 12 of the Andean nation’s 24 provinces and placed 19 areas on red alert due to a drought that has reduced the water levels of hydroelectric plants. The blackout in the provinces will be from 8am local […]
Worst drought on record lowers Amazon rivers to all-time lows

Tefe, Brazil Reuters The worst drought on record has lowered the water level of the rivers in the Amazon basin to historic lows, in some cases drying up riverbeds that were previously navigable waterways. The Solimoes, one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River whose waters originate in the Peruvian Andes, has fallen […]
Brazil’s Amazon drought disrupts residents’ lives

Manacapuru, Brazil Reuters Severe droughts across Brazil’s Amazon rainforest region are drastically altering residents’ lives as mobility is hampered by record-low levels on upper stretches of the Amazon River. In the town of Manacapuru, near state capital Manaus, the drought has impacted navigation on the Solimoes River, which turns into the Amazon River just downstream […]
In Spain’s drought-hit Costa Blanca, people queue for bottled water

Teulada-Moraira, Spain Reuters A severe drought has rendered tap water undrinkable in several towns along Spain’s Costa Blanca, forcing holidaymakers and locals to queue at distribution points for bottled water to cover their basic needs. As water levels have dropped, salinity has increased, prompting authorities in some areas to deem tap water unsafe for drinking […]
Nearly 68 million suffering from drought in Southern Africa, says regional bloc

Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters About 68 million people in Southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought which has wiped out crops across the region, the regional bloc SADC said on Saturday. The drought, which started in early 2024, has hit crop and livestock production, causing food shortages and damaging the wider economies. […]