Is Climate Change Already Affecting People’s Lives?

Severe droughts in the Amazon Basin emphasize that climate change effects are far more complex and disruptive than just warmer summers

I’ve been writing about climate change science for a while now. Most of the comments I get are from supportive folks who are concerned about how this unprecedented sudden change may affect both ecosystems and people.

But occasionally, I encounter the skeptics and the “so what?.” Indeed, some argue that the worst we’ll face, if anything, is a slightly warmer summer. Some even talk about how great it’d be to change the type of crops we plant at higher latitudes. Margaritas by a Swedish beach, anyone?

However, climate change is much more than “Oh, it seems a bit warmer this year, doesn’t it?” or “Yay! It’s finally summer in Canada, and it has been more than two days.” With climate change, we also get colder days where it’s never been so cold, drier conditions in former tropical rainforests, and even floods in desert areas—climactic events we haven’t built the resilience to endure. And it isn’t some future event — much of this is already happening.

For example, a recent study published in Nature Communications showcases how severe droughts in the Amazon Basin create a cascade of problems for local communities, showing that climate change is much more complex and serious.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) (my wife’s master’s alma mater), investigates the impacts of severe droughts on Amazonian communities over the last two decades.

This research, led by Brazilian scientist Dr. Letícia Santos de Lima, reveals the profound effects of prolonged low-water levels on the region’s inhabitants.

To get a comprehensive picture, the researchers used an interdisciplinary approach. They combined spatial analysis, hydrology methods, and digital media content analysis. By examining historic time series of river levels from 90 gauges and analyzing news reports, they assessed how long droughts lasted and how they impacted communities. This mix of techniques allowed the team to map out which areas were most at risk and document the real-life consequences faced by the people living there.

One of the study’s major findings is that severe droughts in the Amazon Basin have significantly extended periods of low water levels. What does that mean?

The 2005, 2010, and 2015–2016 droughts, in particular, were identified as the most severe, with low-water periods lasting over 100 days, compared to the usual 70 days. This extended dry spell is more than just an inconvenience—it’s a critical issue that disrupts the very lifeline of Amazonian communities, especially when these events become increasingly common.

Even more, the research highlighted that nearly 50% of non-Indigenous localities and 54% of Indigenous villages in the Brazilian Amazon are at high risk of isolation during severe droughts. But why?

These communities depend heavily on rivers for transportation, moving around in boats and vessels. Remember, the Amazon basin is vast, and villages are sometimes only connected by rivers as millions of hectares of dense forests still separate them.

When water levels drop, navigation becomes difficult, if not impossible, cutting off access to essential goods and services. Yes, we are talking about food, fuel, and medicine shortages. These droughts can also severely limit access to healthcare and education.

The researchers describe a cascade of impacts resulting from drought-induced navigation problems. When rivers dry up, boats struggle to move, and the entire logistical network collapses. This means that goods can’t be transported, leading to scarcity and increased prices.

This can be devastating for remote communities. The study also noted that restricted access to fishing and hunting sites further threatens food security, as many Amazonian communities rely on these activities as their primary source of protein.

So, what does this all mean in the context of climate change? As I mentioned at the beginning, this study serves as a powerful reminder that the effects of climate change are not just about warmer temperatures; it’s about how these changes disrupt entire ecosystems and societies, threatening human lives.

Dr. Letícia Santos de Lima emphasizes the urgency of developing long-term adaptation strategies. “This is the new reality of the Amazon. Scientists have been warning for years that the Amazon basin is facing a substantial increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events due to climate change, on top of severe changes in its hydrological system due to deforestation and forest degradation,” she says.

The study criticizes government responses that tend to be reactive rather than proactive. There’s a pressing need for policies grounded in long-term planning and adaptation to help communities cope with these changes. Building more roads, often proposed as a solution to community isolation, isn’t viable.

Roads contribute to deforestation, exacerbating rainfall changes and increasing sediment in rivers, further impairing navigability. They may even open new venues for illegal logging and mining. In other words, building more roads would only make the problem worse.

The findings of this study drive home a few key points about the interconnectedness of ecosystems and societies. Climate change impacts are not isolated to temperature changes but involve complex interactions between ecosystems and human societies.

Communities that depend on natural waterways for transportation are particularly vulnerable to the effects of severe droughts, highlighting the need for tailored adaptation strategies. To mitigate the impacts of climate change, long-term, proactive policy responses are essential. This includes addressing deforestation and improving infrastructure to support sustainable development. It involves putting on our thinking hats.

The argument that climate change will merely result in warmer summers or caipirinhas by the Scottish coast overlooks the cascading effects that disrupt lives and livelihoods. The time for questioning climate change is over. Now we need comprehensive, forward-thinking strategies and policies to address these challenges head-on.