Drought weakens in Brazil, but advances in the South and North.

The drought lost intensity in much of Brazil in March 2026, but expanded in area in the South and North regions, according to the latest update from the Drought Monitor. In total, the area affected by the phenomenon fell from 54% to 49% of the national territory, equivalent to 4,2 million km².

The drought eased in 19 states, including Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Goiás, and Mato Grosso. Intensification occurred only in Santa Catarina, while Amazonas, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Rondônia remained stable. Acre, the Federal District, and Espírito Santo remained without any reported cases of the phenomenon.

Despite the overall improvement, the Northeast remains the most critical region, with 88% of its territory affected and experiencing extreme drought—although this category has decreased from 5% to 2% of the regional area. In contrast, the North presented the mildest situation, with less than 1% of its territory under moderate drought.

The Central-West region recorded the lowest percentage of affected area (30%) and no longer experiences severe drought, a condition that still affected municipalities in Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul in February. In the Southeast, there was also a reduction in severity, with the end of the severe drought in Minas Gerais.

In the Southern Region, although the intensity has decreased, the area affected by drought has increased, particularly in Santa Catarina, where the phenomenon has intensified. The same territorial expansion was observed in the North.

In a month-to-month comparison, six states registered an increase in the area affected by drought: Amazonas, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. On the other hand, there was a reduction in 12 states, such as Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, and Pará.

Seven states experienced drought across 100% of their territory in March: Ceará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. In the remaining states, coverage varied between 10% and 93%.

In absolute terms, Amazonas leads in total area affected by drought in the country, followed by Bahia, Minas Gerais, Maranhão, and Piauí.