Sea level at the mouth of the river with the largest flow on Earth has risen 12.4 cm in three decades, eroding riverside territories and reshaping the local economy, according to an unpublished analysis. Intense rains and droughts in the Amazon are altering the interaction between the river’s mouth and the Atlantic Ocean, driving higher tides and coastal salinization. The effects of these changes are already visible in the availability of the species most commonly caught along the Amazon coast. They are also closely tied to deforestation on the continent: by 2050, a 45% reduction in forest cover could weaken the force with which the Amazon’s plume reaches the Atlantic.
Tag: Geojournalism Unit
ExxonMobil builds ‘petro-state’ in Guyana, amid warnings of environmental disaster
Guyana’s rapid ascent to major oil producer status, fueled by the giant US oil company, has come at a steep price: rising inequality, weakened environmental regulations, unchecked gas flaring, and growing foreign influence.