Amazon river level in Peru at 40-year low

[alp227]

Source: BBC News

The Amazon river has dropped to its lowest level in 40 years in north-eastern Peru, causing severe economic disruption in a region where it is the main transport route.

At least six large boats have been stranded near the port city of Iquitos.

The low water level is the result of a prolonged spell of dry weather, Peru's national meteorological office said.

The river is expected to fall further before the rainy season begins next month.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11172581

[Taverner]

1. Amazon Desert?

It's happened to other jungles in our planet's history

[jobycom]

2. Obama is killing the Amazon!

I've been talking to conservatives all day, it just sort of creeps up on you.

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Screw it. The Amazon is a socialist river anyway." - Republicon so-called 'conservatives'

[defendandprotect]

3. No one can predict the compounding effects of Global Warming ....

Droughts/Floods and many other extremes --

[LawnKorn]

6. Torrential rains come next

I half expect a headline in about two months describing how the once stranded boats have broken lose and are being swept downstream by an unprecedented level of river water. The deniers will proclaim "There is no global warming here; they have plenty of rain".

[wordpix]

10. not an Amazon expert but there are a lot of diversions of river water everywhere

That + global warming = low levels

[Richard D]

4. I've spent a lot of time in Iquitos

Water levels so low that the big boats can't bring in supplies will be pretty devastating. It's the only route for supplies into the city.

[blindpig]

7. Not so.

Land route to Lima was completed last year. That's gotta be some ride. Saw one of those big boats run aground and abandoned on a sandbar about 30k downstream this time of year, it was subsumed a few days later.

[Richard D]

9. There's still no land route to Iquitos.

The closest road to Iquitos is up in Yurimaguas, near Tarapoto. Still a slow 3 day boat trip in the best of conditions to Iquitos. That road has been there for a while. There are plans for an overland train to Iquitos, which would open up a whole lot of untouched jungle to "development" such as logging, charcoal production, oil, minerals, farming, etc. IOW, a lot of virgin jungle getting destroyed. I personally hope it doesn't happen.

The road from Nauta to Iquitos was completed a few years ago, but I don't believe Nauta is a deep water port as is Iquitos, so I don't think a lot of cargo can get offloaded there. I've not yet been to Nauta though, so I'm not sure about this, but I've been on the road there a lot and haven't seen any sign of cargo being transported.

I haven't been on the road from Tarapoto to Lima yet. Has a pretty rough and somewhat dangerous reputation though. Friends I have in Tarapoto highly recommend flying.

[Richard D]

11. Bit of a correction

The overland route to the head of the amazon shipping route is much more likely to be through Pucallpa, not Tarapoto. Trouble with writing before coffee.

[blindpig]

12. My bad...

Thought I had read that last year.

Things have undoubtedly changed since '99.

[Richard D]

13. No problem.

I've only been going there since 01 but have spent nearly a year there since then. Quite a different place on the planet.

The biggest change has been the road to Nauta opening up. That and Belen is growing. You'd probably recognize most of what was there in 99 as not having changed all that much. iquitos has a timelessness about it.

[ensho]

8. really bad news

nt