Extreme drought isolates Amazon communities in Brazil

By Bruno Kelly

MANAUS, Brazil (Reuters) - Francisco Mateus da Silva, 67, spent an hour walking across sandbanks and dry riverbeds where he lives in the Amazon to fetch food and water amid the worst drought on record in the region, which has paralyzed river transportation.

"It's very difficult for us because we are used to traveling here on the river. The river is our street, and without water we can't even leave. We are practically isolated," Silva told Reuters.

The state of Amazonas has 62 municipalities in a state of emergency because of the drought, and the smaller, neighboring state of Acre, another 21. Around 70% of all cities in the region are affected by the drought, almost 300 under severe or extreme conditions, according to Cemaden, the federal government's national center for monitoring natural disasters.

Silva said the drought this year and last year "were very severe and left a lot of damage."

Elineide Rodrigues also lives in the same community, Sao Francisco do Maina, between the Amazon River and the Puraquequara lagoon, not far from Manaus, the state capital.

Normally, she would cross the lagoon by boat to go shopping in the capital but now that the lagoon has been reduced to mere centimeters of water, she must walk the path.

"Our biggest problem is getting around so we can do our shopping, so the students can get to school. We have to walk kilometers these days," she said.

The Negro River, main access to Manaus, is already 20 centimeters (8 inches) from the record low it reached last year, which is already affecting the access to supplies in the city and the communities around it.

(Reporting by Bruno Kelly, writing by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Aurora Ellis)