"BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil is enduring its worst drought since nationwide measurements began over seven decades ago, with 59% of the country under stress — an area roughly half the size of the U.S.

Major Amazon basin rivers are registering historic lows, and uncontrolled manmade wildfires have ravaged protected areas and spread smoke over a vast expanse, plummeting air quality.

“This is the first time that a drought has covered all the way from the North to the country’s Southeast,” Ana Paula Cunha, a researcher at the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, said in a statement Thursday. “It is the most intense and widespread drought in history.”"

Fabiano Maisonnave reports for the Associated Press September 10, 2024. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"More Than Half Of Brazil Is Racked By Drought. Blame Deforestation." (Washington Post) [3]

"A Continent Ablaze: South America Surpasses Record For Fires" (Reuters) [4]