Drought advances and already affects 58% of Brazil's territory

The latest update of the Drought Monitor, covering the period between July and August, shows that the severity of the phenomenon remained stable in the Central-West region, but increased in four regions: North, Northeast, Southeast, and South. As a result, the affected area increased from 4,2 million to approximately 4,8 million square kilometers, equivalent to 58% of the country's territory.

According to the survey, the most serious situation was recorded in the Northeast, where 15% of the area experienced extreme drought in August — the worst scenario since February 2019. The North, in turn, had the mildest conditions.

In terms of severity, seven states saw improvements: Alagoas, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, and Tocantins. Ten states saw an intensification of the drought: Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, and São Paulo. In seven other states, the drought remained stable, including the Federal District, Espírito Santo, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Amapá and Roraima remained drought-free, while in Mato Grosso, the drought was again detected in August.

Expansion and contraction of the area with drought

In the monthly comparison, ten states showed an increase in the affected area, including Amazonas, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Goiás. On the other hand, seven states saw a reduction, including Paraná, Maranhão, and Pernambuco. In another seven, such as Rio Grande do Sul and Paraíba, there was no change.

Seven states registered drought across 100% of their territory in August: Acre, the Federal District, Minas Gerais, Piauí, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Tocantins. In the other affected states, the percentages ranged from 4% to 96%.

When considering the total territory, Amazonas led the extension of areas with drought in August, followed by Minas Gerais, Bahia, Maranhão and Goiás.