Crisis in the Amazon: Will the largest rainforest in the world survive? - BBC World Service

Summary

The Amazon rainforest is facing its worst drought on record, with rivers and lakes drying up, isolating villages and endangering wildlife. Communities struggle with water shortages, crop failures, and dangerous travel conditions. Thousands of dolphins have mysteriously died in overheated waters, and scientists fear the forest may be nearing an ecological tipping point. Fires and deforestation are contributing to its decline, and experts warn the Amazon may not recover if droughts continue. The region is a crucial carbon sink and its deterioration could have catastrophic effects on global climate stability.

Takeaways

• 🌊 The Amazon rainforest is experiencing its worst drought on record, affecting rivers, lakes, and streams.
• 🚤 Communities that rely on rivers for transportation, such as Oliveira Tikuna's village, are struggling to reach vital resources.
• 🌡️ Brazil is undergoing an extreme heatwave, exacerbating the effects of the drought.
• 🚱 Many Amazonian communities, including Oliveira's, are struggling with access to clean water for bathing and crops are failing.
• 🐬 Dead dolphins have been found in major lakes, with water temperatures reaching 40.9°C, higher than the body temperatures of both humans and dolphins.
• 🔥 Fires are increasing in frequency, with the Amazon's primary forest seeing more wildfires due to the dry conditions, creating hazardous smoke.
• 🌳 Scientists are concerned that the Amazon may reach a tipping point where it can no longer sustain itself, leading to a feedback loop of forest die-off.
• 😨 Residents are increasingly worried about the future, as the drought and climate changes are becoming more frequent and severe.
• 🌍 The Amazon plays a critical role in global climate regulation, storing 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon, and its degradation poses a threat to the planet.
• 🆘 Experts and local communities acknowledge that human actions and deforestation have contributed significantly to the crisis, and the forest is now 'screaming for help.'

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script?

The script discusses the severe drought in the Amazon rainforest, its impact on the environment, local communities, and wildlife, and concerns about the potential tipping point for the forest's survival.

How has the drought affected local communities in the Amazon?

The drought has severely impacted local communities by limiting access to clean water, affecting crops, and making transportation to and from cities difficult. Some villagers are cut off, and there is an increased risk of dangerous encounters with wildlife like snakes and alligators.

What unusual event involving dolphins occurred during the drought?

In two major lakes, dolphins were found dead in large numbers due to unusually high water temperatures, reaching 40.9°C, which is higher than the body temperatures of both humans and dolphins.

How does the drought potentially signal a tipping point for the Amazon rainforest?

Scientists fear that the drought and deforestation could lead to a tipping point where the Amazon loses its ability to sustain itself by creating its own rain. If the forest reaches this point, it could enter a feedback loop of rapid deterioration, turning parts of it into savannah.

What is the impact of fires in the Amazon mentioned in the script?

Fires, often started to clear land for planting, have been burning out of control due to the dry conditions. The script mentions that there have been more fires in untouched parts of the forest, contributing to its degradation.

How has deforestation contributed to the current situation in the Amazon?

Since the 1970s, around 17% of the Amazon has been deforested. If deforestation reaches 25% and global temperatures rise above 2.5°C, scientists warn that the Amazon could hit an irreversible tipping point, threatening its survival and the rainfall it provides to millions of people.

What role does the Amazon play in regulating the global climate?

The Amazon helps regulate the global climate by storing around 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon and producing rainfall. If the Amazon were to collapse, it would lead to a significant increase in carbon in the atmosphere and disrupt weather patterns worldwide.

What are the long-term concerns if droughts like this continue in the Amazon?

The concern is that repeated droughts, each worse than the last, will prevent the forest from fully recovering between events. If this trend continues, parts of the Amazon could transform into savannahs, and the forest's ability to function as a carbon sink and rain generator could be permanently compromised.

What signs of ecological distress are already visible in the Amazon?

Signs of ecological distress include the mass death of dolphins, widespread forest fires, defoliation of canopies, and large-scale plant mortality. These indicators suggest that the forest is struggling to recover from the drought.

What is the emotional tone of the people living in the Amazon regarding the environmental changes?

The people living in the Amazon express deep concern, fear, and a sense of helplessness. They recognize their dependence on the forest and water, and they feel the urgency of the situation as they see dramatic changes happening faster than expected.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Severe Drought and Its Impact on Amazon Communities

The Amazon rainforest is facing its worst drought on record, severely affecting water sources and transportation routes. Oliveira Tikuna, a local, shares the struggles of his village, including difficulties in accessing clean water and crops, as well as the dangers of traveling during the drought. Many villagers are cut off, with over 100,000 people affected. Scientists warn that this drought could signal an impending ecological disaster, with devastating signs such as dead dolphins appearing in major lakes. The community is unprepared for such extreme conditions, highlighting the unprecedented nature of this crisis.

05:01

🔥 Escalating Fires and Smoke in the Amazon

As the drought worsens, fires rage out of control, engulfing large parts of the Amazon and covering the area in smog. The intensity of the drought is happening much earlier than scientists had predicted, and the transformation is rapid. Local residents, who rely on the water for daily needs, are struggling as water levels drop. The deforestation rate, at 17% since the 1970s, edges closer to the 25% tipping point, which, along with rising global temperatures, could trigger irreversible damage to the forest. The Amazon plays a critical role in cooling the planet, storing 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon, making its preservation crucial.

Keywords

💡Drought

A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. In the script, the Amazon rainforest is experiencing its worst drought on record, affecting rivers, lakes, and streams. This drought is central to the video as it highlights the critical impact of climate change on the ecosystem, causing difficulties in transport, access to water, and threatening the livelihood of local communities.

💡Amazon Rainforest

The largest tropical rainforest in the world, located in South America, it plays a vital role in regulating the global climate and is home to millions of species. In the script, the Amazon is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, including drought, fires, and potential ecological collapse, which emphasize its fragility and importance in maintaining global biodiversity and climate stability.

💡Ecological Disaster

A severe, sudden environmental degradation that harms ecosystems. The video warns of the potential for an ecological disaster in the Amazon as the drought worsens, leading to dead dolphins, deforestation, and the forest's loss of ability to recover. The script suggests that this could lead to a tipping point, where the ecosystem's collapse accelerates uncontrollably.

💡Tipping Point

A critical threshold where a small change can lead to drastic and irreversible effects. The video discusses the fear that the Amazon could reach a tipping point if enough of the forest dies, causing a feedback loop where it can no longer generate the rain needed to sustain itself. This concept is central to the video's theme of environmental urgency.

💡Heat Wave

A prolonged period of excessively hot weather. Brazil is mentioned as being in the midst of a heat wave, which exacerbates the drought and further stresses the Amazon's ecosystem. The heat wave is part of the broader context of climate change impacting the region.

💡Deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests, often for agriculture or development. The script notes that about 17% of the Amazon has been deforested since the 1970s, and if this reaches 25%, it could trigger a tipping point. Deforestation worsens the effects of drought and climate change by reducing the forest's ability to regenerate and store carbon.

💡Carbon Sink

An ecosystem that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases, helping to mitigate climate change. The Amazon is described as a crucial carbon sink, storing around 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon. However, the drought and deforestation are threatening this function, as the forest begins to release more carbon than it absorbs, contributing to global warming.

💡Fires

Uncontrolled blazes that can devastate ecosystems. The video describes how small fires set to clear land for planting in the Amazon are becoming uncontrollable due to the drought. This increase in fires contributes to the deforestation and further weakens the forest's ability to recover.

💡Climate Change

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns, often caused by human activity. The script highlights the effects of climate change on the Amazon, including droughts, heat waves, and fires, all of which threaten the forest's survival and contribute to its potential ecological collapse.

💡Community Impact

The effect of environmental changes on local populations. The script focuses on Oliveira Tikuna's village and other communities in the Amazon, who are struggling to access clean water and basic resources due to the drought. Their difficulties reflect the broader human toll of environmental degradation in the region.

Highlights

The Amazon rainforest is experiencing its worst drought on record, affecting water sources, transport, and agriculture.

Oliveira Tikuna's community, along with thousands of other villagers, has been cut off by the drought, making access to clean water and transportation extremely difficult.

Over 100,000 people have been impacted by the drought, leading to isolation and even deaths due to lack of access to healthcare.

In two major lakes, dolphins have been turning up dead due to unprecedented heat, with water temperatures reaching up to 40.9°C.

Scientists are concerned this drought could indicate an impending ecological disaster, potentially driving the Amazon to a tipping point.

The Amazon rainforest self-sustains by creating rain clouds from water evaporated off its trees, but if deforestation continues, it may lose this ability.

Fires, both accidental and intentional, are ravaging large areas of the Amazon, especially during the dry season, further contributing to the forest's degradation.

Experts predicted this level of drought and devastation would not happen until 2030 or 2050, but the speed and severity have taken them by surprise.

17% of the Amazon has been deforested since the 1970s. If that reaches 25%, combined with a global temperature rise of 2.5°C, the Amazon could hit a catastrophic tipping point.

The Amazon stores around 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon, crucial for regulating the planet's temperature.

The ongoing drought is predicted to continue, raising concerns about whether the forest can recover in time before the next drought hits.

In the 2015 drought, the Amazon lost its function as a carbon sink, and scientists fear a repeat of that scenario in this current drought.

Some areas of the Amazon may permanently turn into savannahs, though other parts may remain forested, depending on the severity and duration of the droughts.

Local populations, including those who depend on the forest for survival, are facing a harsh reality as each drought worsens, with greater impact on their livelihoods.

Scientists and locals alike are increasingly aware that human actions, such as deforestation and climate inaction, are the root causes of the worsening situation in the Amazon.

Transcripts

In the Amazon rainforest, water is a source of everything.

Food and drink, even transport.

But it's experienced its worst drought on record.

Its rivers, lakes and streams drying up.

So you should be able to pass through here

normally even at the end of the dry season but we're getting stuck.

Oliveira Tikuna is taking us to his village.

I don't think we're going to get much further.

And this is the only way to get there.

I think we're gonna have to get out. It's a five hour journey.

At least normally.

We’ve never had a drought like this, on this scale. We’ve never seen anything like this.

Not in history. It gets dry but not to the level it is now.

It's dry and it's hot.

Brazil is in the midst of a heat wave.

That's supposed to be the hardest bit, but we'll see.

Oliveira's community, 40 families in the middle of

the Amazon has been badly affected by the drought.

They're struggling to access clean water to bathe.

Crops are affected, too, and getting to and from the city is difficult.

I think that's the end of the line.

We've been traveling for nearly five hours now,

and Oliviera says we're not even halfway,

so it looks like we're going to have to turn back.

Are you worried about how the weather and the climate here is changing?

Yes, we’re very worried.

If it gets worse than it is now, my relatives will be isolated there.

Then there’s risk of snakes or alligators, because you'll have to cross the lake,

it's more dangerous there than here.

A relative fell ill and we were unable to get him to the city in time to save him.

Thousands of villagers have been cut off by this drought.

Over 100,000 people.

But scientists are worried that this is an indication

of something even more catastrophic - an ecological disaster.

And there are signs. In two major lakes dolphins

have been turning up dead.

What happened this year is something that we've never seen before.

Nobody's seen it before. It's unprecedented.

You're used to seeing dolphins frolicking in the lake every day

and go by them, and we see babies and everything.

And all of a sudden, one day we woke up and there were 20 carcasses

along the shores, and then five days later we had 70 carcasses.

It was just devastating. Devastating.

It was such a shock that the Brazilian government sent an emergency team

to try to figure out what was happening.

I don't know.

In some places the water was up to 40.9°C,

three degrees higher than human and dolphin body temperature.

What you do, that's where you live

and all of a sudden you're in the middle of the soup and you can't get away.

You've lived in the Amazon for a long time.

For 30 years.

Have you ever seen anything like this drought?

Never never, never, never even thought about it.

The fear is that the forest is racing towards a theoretical tipping point.

In the vast Amazon, water evaporates from the trees to form rain clouds.

And in this way it feeds itself, the water it needs to sustain life.

If vast swathes of the forest die, it may not be able to do that,

and the Amazon would keep dying and faster in a catastrophic feedback loop.

This is the heart of the Amazon and this is what the air is like

- just thick with smoke. You can smell it.

More signs that the forest is losing the ability to recover.

When it's dry, small fires set to clear land for planting burn out of control.

The Amazon saw more fires in the past year in its primary or untouched forest.

We have lots of fires. If you can see in the morning,

you can you can hardly see anything here because it's so smoggy

and we can actually feel it.

You know, we've been coughing a lot.

Scientists have been saying for years that this was going to happen

to the Amazon in 2030, 2050, just getting worse and worse,

and that we were going to be like a savannah, which is the the dry areas.

But I never expected to see it and this dramatically.

And it was just too quick. You know, it happened just like that.

You didn't think it would happen in your lifetime?

No. We live in the water.

We depend on the water to drink, to bathe, to, uh, travel for everything.

And the water is much less.

About 17% of the Amazon has been deforested since the 1970s,

and if that figure hits 25% and global temperature rises

more than 2.5°C, then scientists say the tipping point could be triggered.

It would be a disaster for millions of people south of the Amazon,

who rely on it to produce rainfall.

And for the billions of us who rely on the rainforest

to help keep the planet cool.

The Amazon stores around 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon.

So we have rain. Yes, finally.

But perhaps not for long. Yeah. Not enough?

Well, the climatologists are saying this drought will continue.

Flavia Costa researches the health of plants and trees in the forest.

We got to see some plants that are already

showing signs of being dead.

Some colleagues that are flying drones, they say they can see also

canopies that are completely defoliated.

It's too soon to assess what this drought has done to the Amazon.

But the last big one in 2015 can give us a clue.

We have seen very large mortality in the last drought,

when on average, the Amazon stopped to function as a carbon sink,

and we mostly expect the same now, which is sad.

Yeah,there might be a moment

where the forest starts to lose the capacity to recover,

but this is probably not widespread.

So some regions will probably become savannahs.

But there there are pockets of forest that probably will remain.

With the rains here now, the forest can recover.

But next year another drought is predicted.

And the question is, can it recover enough?

We always say, you know, these animals are sentinels

because they feel first what's going to come to us.

And that's why I say it's a slap on the face because it's happening to them.

It's going to happen to us. Are you scared?

Well, I am, because not only because of the forest, I live here.

I understand the drama of the population.

Imagine if every five years we have a drought

and each drought is a bit worse than before.

Then the forest may really not stand.

And we might see this tipping point faster than what we were expecting.

We understand that we are very much to blame for this.

We are the ones who do not pay attention and do not seek to defend our mother earth,

who today is screaming for help from her children, which is us.

We know it's a little late, right?