Dolphins dead in river in Amazon due to drought

A state of emergency has been declared in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. This is due to drought and fires. Since the end of September, over 150 dead dolphins have been found in Lake Tefé, one of the lakes affected by historically low water levels.

In just one week, around ten percent of the dolphins in the lake are estimated to have died, according to the organization WWF and the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development.

It is pink Amazon dolphins and the jumping river dolphin tucuxin that died. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, both species have declining populations.

Scientists have investigated several possible causes of the mass death. The low water levels combined with the fact that the water has become almost 39 degrees warm is seen as the main reason.

Children are forced to stop going to school

The people in the region have also been hit hard by the drought. Hundreds of small communities dependent on the rivers are affected by low water levels. Many people use the rivers as transport routes for food and water. Children have been forced to stop going to school because they can no longer get there.

In total, hundreds of thousands of people are affected.

– We have gone three months without rain here in our community. It is much warmer than in previous dry periods, Pedro Mendonca, who lives in a village in the rainforest west of Manaus, told Reuters.

The drought is believed to have been exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon, but Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva has also blamed climate change.