"Scientists say deforestation is compounding the effects of climate change, threatening to turn parts of the forest into savannah".
"RIO DE JANEIRO - A severe drought in Brazil's Amazon has damaged the forest ecosystem, brought chaos for riverside communities reliant on fishing and river transport, and fuelled wildfires that have cloaked the region's biggest city in smoke for weeks.
The Amazon basin accounts for a fifth of the freshwater flowing into the world's oceans, but many of the region's key rivers have been severely depleted by the dry spell - the fourth severe drought to hit the Amazon in less than 20 years.
The drier conditions have raised fears among scientists that climate change, deforestation, fires and other human impacts are pushing the Amazon to a "tipping point" that threatens to alter the forest irreparably and turn it into a drier environment resembling a savannah."
Andre Cabette Fabio reports for the Thomson Reuters Foundation November 15, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"It’s Not Yet Summer In Brazil, But A Dangerous Heat Wave Is Sweeping The Country" (AP)
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