Marciano Flores stood knee-deep in the Amazon River with the rest of his crew, ready to haul in a giant net as a man in a canoe circled in an attempt to drive fish their way. At 69, after a life of working the river, Flores can tell at a glance just the right spots to seek a catch he can sell at the market.
But standing here a year ago would have been impossible, with the river far above his head. Flores has never seen the Amazon so low, and the men香蕉视频直播檚 net came up empty before they relocated downriver and caught a few small fish. A declining catch is forcing him and his fellow fishermen to search farther and farther down the river each day, and costing him more in fuel too.
香蕉视频直播淭he drought has hit me hard,香蕉视频直播� said Flores, of the Cocama Indigenous community. 香蕉视频直播淲hen the water香蕉视频直播檚 low, the fish die, so there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing to get.香蕉视频直播�
naturally fluctuates during the dry and rainy seasons. But since last year a dramatic drop has been evident, Now the into other Amazon nations, wreaking havoc on local economies and food supplies.
In Colombia, the river香蕉视频直播檚 fall has isolated some rural Indigenous communities, prompting nonprofits and the government to deliver water and food to places that depend on rain and river water to survive. In some communities, it香蕉视频直播檚 an arduous hourlong walk along the dried-up areas to get basic supplies. In other areas, schoolchildren have to walk two hours to get to their classes as boats are unable to drop them close by.
Water levels decreased between 80% and 90% in the past few months, Colombia香蕉视频直播檚 National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said last month.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been very concerned, particularly for the Indigenous communities that are affected the most because all the food has already run out,香蕉视频直播� said 脕lvaro Sarmiento, head of operations for the Colombian Civil Defense in the Amazonas province at Leticia香蕉视频直播檚 port. 香蕉视频直播淔or Indigenous people, fishing is their main source of food.香蕉视频直播�
Large patches of sandy areas can be seen where the river has receded. Evidence of how dramatically the water has fallen can be seen along banks where the earth has cracked under the heat, with large parts collapsing into what香蕉视频直播檚 left of the river. In some areas, white marks high on tree trunks show where the water used to be.
香蕉视频直播淚n the 35 years I香蕉视频直播檝e been in the Amazon, it香蕉视频直播檚 the first time I香蕉视频直播檝e seen it this low,香蕉视频直播� said Jugalvis Valencia, 61, a boat tour guide. He worries that a repeat drought next year will dry up some parts of the river completely.
香蕉视频直播淚f we have a similar summer next year, it香蕉视频直播檚 possible that (the river) will get cut off and we香蕉视频直播檒l be stuck in Leticia,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Communities in need of resources, water
In a community called La Playa on the outskirts of Leticia, Ermencida Miranda runs a small store out of her wooden home propped on stilts, selling things like cleaning supplies and Peruvian, Colombian and Brazilian foods in this area where the three countries come together. And Miranda worries about access to water.
香蕉视频直播淚n all the communities 香蕉视频直播� we are suffering because of the water, because it香蕉视频直播檚 not raining, the drought is really severe,香蕉视频直播� said Miranda, 48, who came from Putumayo eight years ago in search of better economic opportunities.
香蕉视频直播淲e bathe in the river water, but for cooking and drinking we have to wait for rainwater and when there香蕉视频直播檚 none, we have to buy water from Leticia. Imagine that!香蕉视频直播� said Miranda, of the Tikuna people.
Some 32 kilometers (about 20 miles) down the river is the Indigenous reserve of Santa Sofia, a community of about 2,400 made up of five different Indigenous groups, where locals waited in the shade of mango trees for the arrival of supplies from a nonprofit organization. Last year, the river came right up to the mango trees, but now the water is so low it takes a five-minute walk down a dry, cracked mud path.
The nonprofit delivered food supplies like lentils, rice and cooking oil, as well as three large cisterns that can be used to catch and store rainwater. Locals shouldered the heavy white bags of supplies to carry them back to their homes, and men teamed up to move the bulky cisterns.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been hard for us to get food, and to take our crops for sale to Leticia because of the drought,香蕉视频直播� said Santa Sofia resident Elder Kawache, 47.
Access to drinking water has been the most difficult part of the drought for the community since the local well also dried up, Kawache, from the Cocama community, said.
Colombia香蕉视频直播檚 environment ministry didn香蕉视频直播檛 respond to a request for comment on the drought. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said this month it will deliver motorized pumps and hoses for water supply to isolated territories and that a contract for the exploration of underground water sources will be initiated. It has said it is sending humanitarian assistance kits with drinking water and nonperishable food for the communities.
Peru announced a state of emergency and said it would deliver medicines and chlorinated water to communities near the river. Brazilian authorities have been distributing potable water and water purification systems and the government says it will make advance payments to those eligible for monthly welfare payments for poor families in affected areas.
The river has risen slightly in some places in recent days, but after back-to-back and increasingly severe droughts, locals worry about next year.
At her homemade store, Miranda has seen no evidence of help from the government. She香蕉视频直播檇 love to see an elevated tank filled with water so people don香蕉视频直播檛 have to 香蕉视频直播渟uffer so much in carrying water香蕉视频直播� during the summer.
香蕉视频直播淚f someone could help us to get water, it would be a happiness and a change to life, wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 it? Because water is very important for us.香蕉视频直播�
This is part of a series on how tribes and Indigenous communities are coping with and combating climate change.
