Drying up of the Parana River, South America

Problems

• The Paraná River enters inland South America through Argentina from the Atlantic Ocean and acts as a grain super-highway for much of South America. It is the second most extended river system in South America, second only to the Amazon River, its source forming at the confluence of the Paranaíba and Rio Grande rivers in Southern Brazil. From Brazil, it flows generally South for 3,030 miles to the Río de la Plata estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

• Causes of the Parana River drying up

  
  Several factors contribute to the drought, but experts say climate change and deforestation are among the leading causes. Climate change can increase evaporation rates and alter precipitation patterns, reducing the water that reaches the river basin. 
  
  Deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest, can also affect the water cycle and reduce rainfall in downstream areas. The Amazon forest acts as a giant pump that transports moisture from the Atlantic Ocean to the continent's interior, creating what is known as "flying rivers" that feed the Paraná and other rivers. When trees are cut down, less water is recycled into the atmosphere, and more is lost to runoff or evaporation.
  
  The Paraná River Basin has been hit further by the rapid advance of large-scale agriculture, which environmentalists blame for ushering in a new era of erratic rain patterns and more intense droughts across the region.
  
  The impacts have been particularly stark in the Pantanal, a labyrinth of flooded marshes and lagoons stretching across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Much of the region usually is permanently flooded. Still, searing temperatures and prolonged droughts have fueled unprecedented wildfires since 2019, which have engulfed huge swaths of the Pantanal and killed millions of animals.

• Consequences of lowering the water level in the Parana River

  2020 marked a historic year for the River because it is at a near 50-year low due to a drought in southern Brazil and northern Argentina.  The extremely low water level has complicated primary navigation more than usual.  Draft restrictions have been implemented preventing grain vessels from fully loading, resulting in a record number of ship groundings.
  
  Additionally, low water conditions have left loaded barges trapped upriver and led to controlled water releases from the Itaipú and Yacycretá dams, which have done little to alleviate the River's low condition.