Drought eases in part of the country, says Monitor

The most recent update of the Drought Monitor indicates that the phenomenon remains present in approximately 55% of the Brazilian territory, with distinct signs between regions. Between April and May, there was a easing of the drought in eight states, including Amazonas, Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Tocantins. On the other hand, the phenomenon intensified in eight others, including Acre, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina.

By region, the drought eased in the Central-West, North, Southeast and South, while the Northeast saw the situation worsen. The Northeast region also recorded the most critical scenario, with 39% of the area in severe drought.

The territorial extent of drought decreased in the Central-West and Northeast, but increased in the North, Southeast and South. Even with the floods in the Amazon Basin, caused by rains in headwater areas such as Peru and Colombia, 31,5% of the North Region still registered drought, revealing the contrast between the volumes of water in the rivers and the scarcity of local rainfall.

The survey also shows that the Federal District, Piauí and Rio Grande do Sul faced drought in 100% of their territories in May. At the other extreme, Amapá and Pará were the only states free from the phenomenon.

In absolute terms, the states with the largest areas affected were Amazonas, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Goiás and Rio Grande do Sul. In total, the drought affected approximately 4,7 million km², equivalent to more than half of the country.