Brazil faces severe drought after historic floods kill 172

A severe drought is expected in parts of southern Brazil, the environment minister said on Wednesday, after torrential rains caused historic flooding.

Brazil has experienced several extreme weather events, most recently a once-in-a-century flood in the state of Rio Grande do Sul that killed 172 people.

Environment Minister Marina Silva said the floods were caused by a combination of natural phenomena such as El Niño and climate change, and other places had experienced a similar double whammy.

“The same thing is happening in the Pantanal, in the Amazon,” she said, referring to the extremes of climate in one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands, and its largest rainforest.

He added that northeastern Caatinga – a unique and biodiverse semi-arid biome – “is already experiencing severe drought, and in the case of Rio Grande do Sul we will also face severe drought”.

Silva, who was speaking at an event alongside President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, warned of more fires following record arson incidents in the first few months of the year.

Following the Rio Grande do Sul floods, a rapid study by global scientists found that climate change makes the event twice as likely, and that El Niño also plays a major role in the disaster.

El Niño, which alters rainfall patterns around the world, making some areas more vulnerable to torrential rain or drought, is currently weakening.

After a brief neutral period, La Niña – which can cause drought conditions in parts of Latin America – is expected to return.

Silva, a renowned activist in her field, will return to lead the environment ministry and oversee Brazil’s climate change policies when Lula returns to power in January 2023.

He had good news for Brazil’s Cerrado region, a vast tropical savanna renowned for its rich biodiversity, where deforestation will increase by 43 percent in 2023, while in the Amazon it will be halved.

Deforestation in the Cerrado decreased by 12.9 percent between January and May, but “it’s too early to say if this is a permanent change in the curve,” Silva said.