Extreme Drought, Wildfire Smoke Leave Populations Stranded in Brazil’s Amazon

A combination of drought and risky farming practices has created survival challenges for residents in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. In some cases, entire communities have been cut off from commerce, water, and health care by severely low river levels, according to locals. A heavy blanket of smoke across the region is also affecting airport operations and sparking health concerns. Solving wildfires and deforestation in the vast Amazonian wilderness has been equal parts a campaign slogan and a constant battle for officials for years. Rivers are an integral part of transportation in Brazil since there are few roads that connect the east with the more densely forested regions in the west....