Drought eases in Brazil, says Monitor

According to the latest update of the Drought Monitor, between November and December 2024, in terms of drought severity, there was a softening of the phenomenon in 14 states of the Federation: Acre, Amazonas, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, São Paulo and Tocantins. In the opposite direction, in eight northeastern states the drought intensified during this period: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. In another five states of the Federation the phenomenon remained stable in terms of severity during this period: Amapá, Distrito Federal, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima and Santa Catarina.

Considering the five geopolitical regions monitored by the Drought Monitor, the South had the mildest drought conditions in December, while the North had the most severe situation, registering exceptional drought – the most intense on the Monitor's scale. Between November and December, there was a slowdown in four regions: Central-West, North, Southeast and South. The exception was the Northeast, where the phenomenon intensified during this period. Considering the extension of the area with drought, there was a reduction in the phenomenon in the Southeast and South. In both the Northeast and the North, the area with drought increased. The Central-West continued to experience drought throughout its territory.

In the comparison between November and December, three states recorded an increase in the area affected by drought: Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul and Roraima. In the opposite direction, the Monitor verified a decrease in the area affected by the phenomenon in five other states: Ceará, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina. In 19 other states of the Federation, the area affected by drought remained stable: Acre, Alagoas, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rondônia, São Paulo, Sergipe and Tocantins.

Seventeen states of the Federation recorded drought across 100% of their territory in December of this year: Acre, Alagoas, Federal District, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rondônia, São Paulo, Sergipe and Tocantins. In the other states of the Federation, the percentages varied from 26% to 99%.

Based on the territory of each unit of the Federation monitored, Amazonas leads the total area with drought in December, followed by Pará, Mato Grosso, Bahia and Minas Gerais. In total, between November and December, the area with the phenomenon remained at the level of 7,85 million km², equivalent to 92% of the Brazilian territory.

Situation by State

 Acre

Between May and December 2024, the drought area remained present throughout the entire territory of Acre. This is the first time that the state has recorded drought in 100% of its territory for eight consecutive months since November 2022, when AC entered the Monitor Map. Between November and December, the drought eased in Acre with the reduction of severe drought from 100% to 80% of the state. This is the mildest condition of the phenomenon in the state since June 2024, when there was severe drought in 44% of AC.

Alagoas

Between November and December, the area with drought in Alagoas remained at 100% of its territory. This is the first time that the state has recorded drought in its entirety for two consecutive months since the period between January and February 2021. Alagoas recorded an intensification of the phenomenon with the area with severe drought growing from 32% to 35% of the state between November and December. This is the most severe drought in the state of Alagoas since May 2019, when there was severe drought in 40% of the state.

Amapá

Between October and December, the area affected by drought remained at 82% of Amapá. The severity of the phenomenon remained stable in Amapá between September and December, with moderate drought remaining at 3% of the Amapá territory. In addition, Amapá had the mildest drought conditions among the northern states in December.

Amazon

The area with drought in Amazonas remained in 99% of the state between October and December 2024. Between November and December, Amazonas saw the drought ease in the state with the area with exceptional drought reducing from 16% to 6% of the Amazon territory. Even so, the state had the most intense drought conditions in Brazil among all the states of the Federation in December.

Bahia

The area with drought increased slightly from 91% to 97% of Bahia between November and December. This is the highest percentage of area with drought in the state since January 2024, when there was drought in 99% of Bahia. The phenomenon intensified in the Bahian territory between November and December with the area with moderate drought increasing from 21% to 34% of the state.

Ceará

The area with drought in Ceará decreased from 87% to 80% of the state between November and December. As a result, Ceará had the lowest percentage of area with drought in the Northeast in December. The drought intensified in Ceará between November and December, with the area with moderate drought increasing from 38% to 43% of the state during this period. This is the most severe phenomenon in the state of Ceará since January 2024, when there was severe drought in 2% of CE.

Federal District

Between May and December 2024, drought remained present in 100% of the Federal District. Since the period between April and November 2022, this is the first time that the DF has recorded drought across its entire territory for eight consecutive months. The drought remained stable in the Federal District between November and December, with mild drought across 100% of the territory in both months. As a result, the Federal District had the best condition of the phenomenon in the Central-West in December.

Espírito Santo

Between June and December, the drought-stricken area remained in 100% of Espírito Santo. This is the first time that the state has recorded seven consecutive months of drought across its entire territory since it entered the Drought Monitor in April 2019. Between November and December, the drought eased in Espírito Santo, where moderate drought was no longer recorded. With 100% of the Espírito Santo territory experiencing mild drought, the state had the best drought conditions since June 2024, when mild drought was also present throughout Espírito Santo.

Goiás

The drought area remained at 100% of Goiás between July and December. This is the first time that the phenomenon has been recorded for six consecutive months in the state since it entered the Monitor Map in June 2020. The drought eased significantly in Goiás between November and December, with the area with severe drought reducing from 27% to 1% of the state during this period. This is the mildest condition of the phenomenon in GO since June 2024, when there was no severe drought in the Goiás territory.

Maranhao

Between September and December, the area affected by drought remained stable in 100% of Maranhão. Since October 2017 to January 2018, this is the first time that the state has recorded drought across its entire territory for four consecutive months. The phenomenon intensified in Maranhão with the increase in the area of ​​severe drought, which went from 15% to 29% of the state between November and December. This is the most severe condition of the phenomenon in Maranhão since January 2018, when there was extreme drought in 11% of the state.

Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso continued to experience drought across its entire territory between July and December 2024. This is the first time that the state has recorded drought across 100% of its territory for six consecutive months since June 2021, when MT entered the Monitor Map. There was a easing of the drought in Mato Grosso between November and December, as there was a significant reduction in the area with severe drought from 58% to 38%. This is the mildest condition of the phenomenon in the state since July 2024, when there was severe drought in 33% of MT.

Mato Grosso do Sul

In Mato Grosso do Sul, the area with drought remained throughout the state between July and December 2024. Since the period between February and July 2022, it is the first time that the state has recorded six consecutive months of the phenomenon throughout the entire territory of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The drought eased in Mato Grosso do Sul between November and December, with the area with severe drought reducing from 67% to 42% of the state. Even so, the territory of Mato Grosso do Sul had the most severe condition of the phenomenon in the Center-West in December.

Minas Gerais

The area affected by drought in Minas Gerais decreased from 100% to 93% of the state between November and December. This is the smallest area affected by drought in the state since the 78% recorded in June 2024. In Minas Gerais, the drought eased between November and December, as the state stopped experiencing severe drought. This is the best condition of the phenomenon in the state since May 2024.

Para

Pará continued to experience drought across 100% of its territory between August and December. This is the first time that the state has recorded the phenomenon for five consecutive months since its entry into the Monitor Map in April 2023. Between November and December, there was a easing of the drought in Pará with a reduction in severe drought from 21% to 15% of the state's territory during this period.

Paraíba

Paraíba recorded drought across its entire territory between September and December. Since the period from September to December 2021, this is the first time that the state has had drought across 100% of its territory for four consecutive months. Between November and December, the drought intensified in Paraíba with the area with moderate drought increasing from 92% to 100% of its territory. This is the most severe condition in the state since April 2022, when there was severe drought across 24% of Paraíba's territory.

Paraná

Between November and December, the area affected by drought decreased sharply from 72% to 53% of Paraná. This is the smallest area affected by the phenomenon in the state since February 2024, when the phenomenon was recorded in 30% of the state's territory. On the other hand, in December, Paraná was the southern state with the highest percentage of area affected by drought. Between November and December, the drought eased in Paraná, with no severe drought and a moderate drought rate of 19% in the state. Even so, Paraná had the most severe drought among the southern states in December.

Pernambuco

Pernambuco continued to experience drought across 100% of its territory between September and December. This is the first time that the state has recorded drought across its entire area for four consecutive months since the period between December 2019 and March 2020. The drought intensified in Pernambuco between November and December, as severe drought was once again recorded in 13% of the state. This is the most severe condition in the state since October 2021, when there was severe drought in 27% of the state's territory.

Piaui

Between September and December, the area affected by drought in Piauí remained at 100% of the state. Since the period between October 2017 and January 2018, this is the first time that the state of Piauí has ​​recorded this phenomenon throughout the state for four consecutive months. The drought eased in Piauí between November and December, with moderate drought reducing from 43% to 34% across the state.

Rio de Janeiro

The area with drought decreased from 73% to 49% of the state of Rio de Janeiro between November and December. This is the smallest area with drought in the state since the 42% recorded in May 2024 in RJ. In addition, it is the lowest percentage of area with drought among the states of the Southeast in December. The drought eased in the State of Rio de Janeiro between November and December, as moderate drought was no longer recorded in RJ. The 59% of weak drought was the mildest situation of the phenomenon in the state since May 2024, when there was a weak drought in 42% of RJ. In addition, the territory had the mildest drought condition among the states of the Southeast in December.

Rio Grande do Norte

Between November and December, the area with drought in Rio Grande do Norte remained at 100% of the state. This is the first time that the state has recorded this drought across its entire area for two consecutive months since the period between October and November 2023. Aseca intensified in Rio Grande do Norte between November and December with the area with moderate drought increasing from 20% to 26% of the state. This is the most severe condition of the phenomenon in the state of Rio Grande do Norte since the 44% of moderate drought recorded in January 2024. On the other hand, RN had the best drought condition among the northeastern states in December.

Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul saw a significant increase in the area affected by drought from 4% to 29% between November and December 2024. This is the largest area affected by drought since August 2023, when 55% of the state was affected by drought. Between November and December, the severity of the drought in Rio Grande do Sul remained stable, as the state continued to experience only mild drought, which is the mildest on the Monitor's scale.

Rondônia

The drought area remained at 100% of Rondônia between July and December 2024. Since the period between October 2023 and March 2024, this is the first time that the state has recorded drought in its entirety for six consecutive months. Between November and December, the drought eased slightly in Rondônia with the extreme drought decreasing from 11% to 10% of the territory of Rondônia. This is the mildest drought condition in the state since July 2024.

Roraima

Between November and December 2024, Roraima saw an increase in the area affected by drought, which went from 28% to 36% of its territory. Despite this, Roraima had the lowest percentage of area affected by drought in the North region in December. Between November and December, the severity of the drought remained stable in Roraima

Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina recorded a reduction in the area with drought from 46% to 26% between November and December 2024. It is the smallest area with drought in the state since the 23% recorded in August 2024. Between November and December, the severity of the phenomenon remained stable in Santa Catarina, which recorded only mild drought in this period, which is the mildest on the Monitor's scale. 

São Paulo

In the State of São Paulo, the drought area continued in 100% of its territory between September and December. Since the period between June and September 2022, this is the first time that SP has recorded drought in the entire state for four consecutive months. The drought eased in the State of São Paulo between November and December, as severe drought was no longer observed. With moderate drought in 64% of the state, the territory of São Paulo had the mildest condition since June 2024, when there was moderate drought in 50% of SP. On the other hand, São Paulo had the most severe drought among the states of the Southeast in December.

Sergipe

Between September and December, the area with drought remained at 100% of Sergipe. This is the first time that the state has recorded the phenomenon across its entire territory for four consecutive months since the period from November 2023 to February 2024. Between November and December, the phenomenon intensified in Sergipe with the area with severe drought increasing from 49% to 53% of the state's territory. As a result, Sergipe had the most severe drought since February 2019, when there was extreme drought in 32% of the state. The territory of Sergipe also had the most severe drought in the Northeast in December.

Tocantins

Tocantins continued to experience drought across 100% of its territory between July and December 2024. Since the period between October 2023 and March 2024, this is the first time that the state has recorded drought across its entire territory for six consecutive months. In Tocantins, the drought eased between November and December, as severe drought was no longer recorded in the state. This is the mildest condition in the state since November 2023.