In Colombia, Amazon River's extreme drought falls hard on Indigenous communities

LETICIA, Colombia — Marciano Flores stood knee-deep in the Amazon River with the rest of his crew, ready to haul in a giant net as a man in a canoe circled in an attempt to drive fish their way. At 69, after a life of working the river, Flores can tell at a glance just the right spots to seek a catch he can sell at the market.

But standing here a year ago would have been impossible, with the river far above his head. Flores has never seen the Amazon so low, and the men’s net came up empty before they relocated downriver and caught a few small fish. A declining catch is forcing him and his fellow fishermen to search farther and farther down the river each day, and costing him more in fuel too.

“The drought has hit me hard,” said Flores, of the Cocama Indigenous community. “When the water's low, the fish die, so there's nothing to get."

The Amazon River naturally fluctuates during the dry and rainy seasons. But since last year a dramatic drop has been evident, most critical in Brazil. Now the phenomenon is spreading into other Amazon nations, wreaking havoc on local economies and food supplies.

In Colombia, the river's fall has isolated some rural Indigenous communities, prompting nonprofits and the government to deliver water and food to places that depend on rain and river water to survive. In some communities, it's an arduous hourlong walk along the dried-up areas to get basic supplies. In other areas, schoolchildren have to walk two hours to get to their classes as boats are unable to drop them close by.

Water levels decreased between 80% and 90% in the past few months, Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said last month.

“I've been very concerned, particularly for the Indigenous communities that are affected the most because all the food has already run out," said Álvaro Sarmiento, head of operations for the Colombian Civil Defense in the Amazonas province at Leticia's port. "For Indigenous people, fishing is their main source of food."

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a series on how tribes and Indigenous communities are coping with and combating climate change.