Paraguay River and Pantanal could have the worst drought in the history of Mato Grosso do Sul

Experts warn of the greatest drought in the Paraguay River and Pantanal in the history of Mato Grosso do Sul – Credits: Reproduction

The level of the Paraguay River, in Ladário, is on track to reach the worst historical level of drought ever recorded in Mato Grosso do Sul in 2024. This week, the Porto Esperança ruler marks 7 centimeters, with 35 cm already considered drought. The situation is critical and may be related to climate change and the consequences on temperatures and the rain cycle.

Researcher at Embrapa Pantanal, Carlos Padovani, has been following the behavior of rivers in Mato Grosso do Sul for years, mainly in the Paraguay basin, and states that the current scenario is worrying. The reference he uses is the level of the Paraguay River in the Ladário ruler, which represents 80% of the bay and has a history of 123 years.

The main warning is that, at this time of year, the Pantanal region ends the flood period and begins the drought, but the rivers have not filled as expected. High temperatures, combined with irregularity and low rainfall, directly affect the Pantanal basin and, consequently, river levels.

“It has been raining, but the rain has not influenced the river levels because a lot of rain is needed to infiltrate the soil and fill the rivers, but the rains are irregular and it is very hot, which also contributes to the fact that the rain is not enough”, explains the researcher. With irregular rains and dry rivers, two other serious consequences occur: lack of navigability in the waterway and a tendency to fires.

Navy warns of negative Paraguay river level

At the beginning of March this year, the Brazilian Navy issued a technical study on the Paraguay River basin in the Pantanal, warning of the likelihood of the river reaching negative levels in the coming months, as occurred in 2020 and 2021.

Considering the rainfall history, the Navy believes that the accumulated rainfall will reach 700 to 800 mm, below the historical average of 1113.3 mm. This is similar to what happened in 2020 and 2021, when a period of severe drought was observed in the region, with fires and low levels of the Paraguay River.

***Read more at MidiaMax.uol.com.br