Brazil is losing natural surface water due to climate change and land conversion, with a report indicating a loss of 400,000 hectares from 2022 to 2023. The Amazon, holding most of Brazil’s freshwater, saw a 4.5 million hectare decline. Effective water management policies are urgently needed, especially as Brazil prepares for COP30.
Brazil, home to 12% of the world’s freshwater reserves, is experiencing significant losses in natural surface water due to climate change and the conversion of forests into agricultural land. According to the MapBiomas monitoring platform, the country lost 400,000 hectares of aquatic surface from 2022 to 2023, equivalent to the area of Rhode Island.
Over the past 16 years, only 2022 experienced an increase in surface water, while the country has lost around 2.4 million hectares of rivers and lakes since 1985. This decline is attributed to drought, urbanization, and excessive aquifer extraction. “The dynamics of land occupation and use, along with extreme climate events caused by global warming, are making Brazil drier,” stated Juliano Schirmbeck, coordinator of the MapBiomas Agua report.
The report emphasizes the urgent need for adaptive water management strategies and public policies to reverse the negative trend. Brazil is set to host the COP30 UN climate conference in November in Belém, in the Amazon region, heightening the focus on its water management issues.
The Amazon, which holds nearly two-thirds of Brazil’s surface water and is critical for carbon absorption and climate regulation, saw a decrease of 4.5 million hectares in surface water last year, equal to the area of Denmark. The Pantanal wetlands, severely affected by drought and wildfires, had water surface levels in 2024 approximately 61% lower than the average recorded since 1985.
Despite a 54% increase in human-made water bodies like reservoirs and dams since 1985, this expansion has not made up for the loss of natural freshwater resources, the report concludes.
Brazil is facing a significant decrease in natural surface water largely due to climate change and land conversion. The report highlights alarming statistics regarding water loss in the Amazon and other regions, suggesting immediate action through adaptive management policies. As Brazil prepares to host COP30, addressing these water management challenges is critical for the nation’s environmental health.
Original Source: www.ndtv.com
