Climate Change Drives Amazon's Worst Drought in Half a Century

Human-caused global warming makes such extreme droughts 30 times more likely, threatening ecosystems and communities reliant on the Amazon.

The Amazon rainforest experienced its worst drought in at least half a century in 2023, primarily driven by human-caused climate change.
The drought was classified as 'exceptional', the highest category in the U.S. Drought Monitor classification system, and was 30 times more likely due to global warming.
The drought has disrupted ecosystems, directly impacted millions of people who rely on rivers for transport, food and income, and resulted in the deaths of endangered dolphins.
The Amazon, often described as the 'lungs of the planet', plays a key role in removing warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, rapid deforestation and climate change are threatening its ability to perform this function.
If global warming continues at the current pace, similar extreme droughts could become even more common, occurring once every 13 years.