Drought and fires show Brazil’s climate vulnerability

Significance

This has led to a substantial reduction in river flows, with serious current or potential impacts on agriculture, foreign trade, and hydroelectric generation. The drought, affecting 58% of Brazil to some degree, also contributes to the spread of fires consuming large areas and producing smoke, severely reducing air quality across several states.

Impacts

• The low levels of rivers originating in Brazil will also affect the foreign trade of neighbouring countries, such as Argentina and Paraguay.
• Reliance on hydropower makes Brazil’s electricity mix clean, but also more vulnerable to climate change.
• More severe and frequent droughts would undermine agribusiness, whose exports are a key source of hard currency for Brazil.