Amazon Basin faces rapid increase in extreme heat and water stress

A study involving 53 international scientists reveals that extreme weather events are accelerating in the north-central region of the Amazon Basin, an area previously considered less vulnerable. Published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, the research shows that approximately 700,000 square kilometers—an area larger than Afghanistan—has experienced a rise in extreme dry-season temperatures of at least 0.75°C per decade.

Since 1981, the cumulative temperature increase in these specific extreme periods has exceeded 3.22°C. This rate of warming for extreme heat and water stress is significantly higher than the Amazon's average annual temperature increase, which is approximately 0.21°C per decade.

The findings highlight heterogeneous climate changes across the basin. While the southern Amazon continues to see the fastest warming in terms of average temperatures due to deforestation and land-use changes, the north-central region is seeing a more rapid advancement of extreme heat and water deficits. Researchers noted that these shifts are driven not only by local forest loss but also by global climate change and phenomena such as El Niño.