Drought depletes Lake Tefé, Brazil

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 24 September 2024 shows a depleted Lake Tefé in northwestern Brazil. The city of Tefé, located along the Solimões River—one of the Amazon’s main tributaries—is also visible. This part of the Amazon Basin is currently facing record-low water levels due to an unprecedented drought.

In 2024, the Amazon Basin has been affected by one of the most severe droughts in recent history, affecting communities in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The shortage of water in the Amazon, which holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, has prompted authorities to declare emergencies as rivers have become unnavigable, isolating several communities. The drought has further exacerbated forest fires in Brazil, where smoke has impacted air quality.

The ongoing drought and its widespread impacts in affected countries can be monitored with open data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites, which provide key information for mapping bodies of water and supporting response efforts.

Source:

Copernicus. (2024, September 30). Drought depletes Lake Tefé, Brazil. Copernicus Image of the Day.