- Title: BRAZIL: Severe drought grips Brazil’s northeastern region.
- Date: 8th May 2012
- Summary: BAHIA, BRAZIL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RAINBOW AT BRAZIL'S NORTH-EASTERN STATE OF BAHIA VARIOUS OF LAKE THAT IS DRYING UP CLOSE OF DRIED UP LAND EXTERIOR OF BAHIA GOVERNMENT'S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT IN TOWN OF MARACAS VARIOUS OF MARACA'S AGRICULTURE SECRETARY, GILMAR ROCHA, AT OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MARACAS AGRICULTURE SECRETARY, GILMAR ROCHA, SAYING: "The local neighbourhood of Porto Alegre, is located close to the Contas' river and we use the river's water in our homes. But the river is drying up and the problems are constant now." DRIED LAND VARIOUS OF LOCAL RESIDENT JOSE OLIVEIRA DE SOUSA CLOSE OF DRIED LAND (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) LOCAL RESIDENT, JOSE OLIVEIRA DE SOUSA, SAYING: "Everyone is going through a big crisis because of the drought. Our jobs have been taken away from us, from the fishermen to the farmers and the boat and raft operators." VARIOUS OF SOUSA AT HIS FORMER WORK LOCATION AT THE RAFT STATION BUS PASSING THROUGH A DRIED RIVER DRIED LAND
- Embargoed: 23rd May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- City:
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Disasters,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA2VWAOE17X0SWS1GBRGGWECTOO
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: The worst drought in 30 years in Brazil's poor north-eastern region has destroyed crops and prompted officials to limit water use in the 266 districts that have declared a state of emergency.
Lakes have dried up, forcing thousands of families who live in remote areas to walk miles in order to pick up water.
The agriculture secretary in the town of Maracas, Gilmar Rocha, said the drought problems have became constant in the region.
"The local neighbourhood of Porto Alegre, is located close to the Contas' river and we use the river's water in our homes. But the river is drying up and the problems are constant now," he said.
As a result of the drought, ranchers have been struggling to feed and water cattle while farmers have been left to watch their crops shrivel into the dusty soil.
Forty-two-year-old Jose Oliveira de Sousa, who works at a raft station in the district of Maracas, said many of his colleagues have been left unemployed as a result of the drought.
"Everyone is going through a big crisis because of the drought. Our jobs have been taken away from us, from the fishermen to the farmers and the boat and raft operators," he said.
According to weather experts, the drought may last up to October.
The drought in the Southern hemisphere is caused by La Nina, which is cooling equatorial Pacific waters. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
