The Sahara Desert is Flooded, the Amazon River is Dry: When the Earth Turns Around
HOLIDAY NEWS - Extreme natural phenomena hit two contrasting regions: The normally arid Sahara Desert was hit by its first major flood in half a century, while the Amazon River, the world's largest water source, dried up to historic lows.
Increasingly erratic climate change has created surprising weather anomalies throughout the world. The Sahara Desert, known for its hot temperatures and dry landscape, is now flooded with water. On the other hand, the Amazon River, the lifeblood of the Amazon rainforest, is experiencing a severe drought that threatens the ecosystem and the lives of millions of people.
Flash Floods in the Sahara: Heavy Rain Turns Desert into Lake
In September 2024, heavy rain exceeding the annual rainfall fell on several regions in southeastern Morocco. In the space of two days, more than 100 mm of rain was recorded in Tagounite, a village about 450 km south of the capital, Rabat.
“It's been 30 to 50 years since we've had this much rain in such a short time,” Houssine Youabeb, an official from Morocco's meteorological agency, told the Associated Press. Satellite imagery from NASA shows Lake Iriqui, a lake bed that has been dry for 50 years, filling back up with water. These flash floods have caused significant damage, killing 18 people and affecting a region still struggling to recover from last year's earthquake.
Extreme Drought in the Amazon: Negro River Shrinks to Lowest Level
While the Sahara struggles with flooding, the Amazon River in South America is experiencing its worst drought in history. The Negro River, one of the Amazon's main tributaries, has shrunk to its lowest level ever recorded, namely 12.66 meters at the port of Manaus, well below the normal level of around 21 meters.
“This is the lowest level since measurements began 122 years ago," Brazil's geological agency said. The previous record low was recorded last year, but towards the end of October.
This drought has paralyzed the activities of local communities. Gracita Barbosa, 28, a cashier at a floating shop on the Negro River, lost her job because the boat that usually stopped at her shop could no longer sail due to the shallow river. He also had difficulty getting drinking water and could no longer bathe in the river.
Climate Change: A Real Threat to Earth's Balance
These two extreme phenomena — flooding in the Sahara and drought in the Amazon — are clear indications of the impacts of climate change that are increasingly being felt around the world.
Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that the water cycle around the world is changing with increasing frequency. "As a result of rising temperatures, the hydrological cycle has accelerated. It has also become more erratic and unpredictable, and we are facing increasing problems of either too much or too little water," he said.
Future Impact and Threats
Floods in the Sahara and drought in the Amazon have had devastating impacts on the environment and human life.
Sahara: Floods have caused damage to infrastructure, loss of life, and disruption to economic activity. Although flooding can replenish groundwater sources, its negative impacts are greater in the short term.
Amazon: Drought has caused forest fires, habitat loss, and disruption to river transport. Drought also threatens Amazon biodiversity and could impact global weather patterns.
Scientists predict that extreme weather events like this will become more frequent and intense in the future due to climate change. This requires us to take concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change.
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