Drought leads Acre to declare environmental emergency

The Acre River reached a level of 1,54 meters today, according to a measurement made by the Brazilian Geological Service (SGB) late this morning. The research, carried out in Rio Branco, points to a reduction of two centimeters in relation to the measurement this Tuesday (23), leaving the river close to reaching the worst level in history: 1,25 meters in September 2022. Throughout the In the state of Acre, seven municipalities have already declared a state of emergency due to the drought.

The capital, Rio Branco, declared an emergency on June 28 due to the low level of the Acre River and the lack of rain. The situation of the river has affected the supply of drinking water in the capital. The city hall reported that it distributes more than 200 liters of water daily to 32 communities in the capital.

On July 11, it was the turn of the city of Jordão, 839 km away from Rio Branco, to declare an emergency situation due to the low level of the Jordão and Tarauacá Rivers. The municipality is having difficulty guaranteeing its water supply because the level of the São João stream, which supplies almost the entire city, has reached a critical stage.

Last week, the cities of Feijó, Epitaciolândia and Bujari declared an emergency. The measure was taken due to the drought in the streams, which affects, in addition to the Acre River, the Purus, Juruá, Tarauacá, Envira and Iaco Rivers.

In the city of Bujari, the decree cites economic and social losses to the affected population and the "imperiosity of safeguarding the dignity of the human person, by meeting their basic needs". In Epitaciolândia, which is on the border between Acre and Bolivia, the lack of water affects 18 thousand residents.

In the city of Feijó, in addition to problems related to water shortages, the decree warns that the level of rivers and streams can cause the isolation of riverside dwellers and indigenous people "due to the lack of navigability of the springs, causing several problems with food supply and other inputs” for the population.

New decrees

Today's Official Gazette of the state of Acre published state of emergency decrees in the municipalities of Cruzeiro do Sul, for a period of 180 days, and Porto Walter: 190 days.

In Porto Walter, the prolonged drought causes many problems for navigation on the Juruá River and its tributaries, affecting almost eleven thousand people, including indigenous and riverside communities who suffer from a lack of drinking water and food shortages.

There are also records of fires in the green area of ​​the city's aerodrome, compromising flights. The air route may be obstructed by smoke clouds.

In Cruzeiro do Sul, adverse weather conditions, related to prolonged drought, high temperatures, heat waves, low relative air humidity and intense winds, lead to the occurrence of forest fires. The increase in the occurrence of fires and forest fires has increased the concentration of carbon monoxide and particles in the atmosphere, posing risks to the health of the population.

Due to reduced rainfall, low relative humidity, increased temperature and risk of fires, the Acre government declared an environmental emergency in the state's 22 municipalities. The measure is valid until the end of the year.

Furthermore, a crisis office was set up in the local government to deal with the situation. The decree is valid until December 31st. It will be up to the government cabinet to take measures to reduce the drought situation in the state and the impacts on the population.