A new report from the World Meteorological Association found that rivers around the globe have been drying at the fastest rate in at least three decades. According to the report, over the past five years global river flows and discharges have been below normal and decreasing, and inflows to and levels of reservoirs have also been below normal and decreasing. From the Yangtze River in China to the Nile in Africa to the Danube in eastern Europe to the Mississippi and Colorado Rivers in the United States, and to the Amazon and its many tributaries in Brazil and South America, the world’s rivers presently have lower water levels and flows than they have seen in decades.
With less rainfall, higher temperatures, increased drought and the slow decrease in volume of east Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria, which feeds it, the Nile River in northeastern Africa is currently seeing decreased water flow, and saltwater from the Mediterranean Sea increasingly “invading” into the previously fresh water of the river. This decrease in flow not only affects millions along the thousands of miles of the river who rely on it for irrigation, drinking water, and transportation, but the ability to produce power by hydroelectric dams that generate their power using the natural flow of the river.
The world’s largest river, the Amazon in Brazil, and its dozens of tributaries are seeing similar issues. As of last month, the river was at its lowest levels on record, and in some areas the depth of the river was a full 25 feet below average levels. Some of its tributaries – massive rivers on their own, most larger than the Mississippi – are also drying up. Not only is this a canary in the coal mine for wildlife and the riverine ecosystems of the region, it is also dramatically hampering trade and transportation for the people and businesses of the region, who rely on the river for everything from basic trips to stores to large scale trade and shipments of food, medical equipment and more. As one resident from the Amazonas state of Brazil told a reporter, “Here, the rivers are our streets…And with the drought, we can’t get to town to buy water or medicine. We can’t fish. The fish is all gone. Everything is dry.”
The drying of rivers worldwide is both an environmental and a human catastrophe in the making. And we know that the catastrophe is being driven by the use of fossil fuels. So what is being done to stop it from getting worse? Not much! In the United States, both major political parties embrace increased oil production. Obviously, the Republican Party denies that climate change is even real, and many of their candidates for office literally say, “drill, baby, drill.”
But the Democrats, who often claim to be friends of the environment, also embrace and openly show pride in the increased oil production that has happened under their administrations. Biden has boasted about overseeing increased oil production, saying on social media that “on my watch” the United States has “responsibly increased our oil production to meet our immediate needs.” And as Kamala Harris campaigns for president, she touts the fact that “we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels.” Harris has also committed to not ban fracking, the extremely harmful form of oil extraction that has made it possible for those increases in U.S. production over the past two decades.
As the rivers of the world dry and millions or billions feel the effects, we shouldn’t expect help from those in positions of power. In fact, they are very much a part of the problem.
