South America: Drought Threatens Agricultural Exports
The Paraná River is at the limit of navigability
One of the consequences of the drought affecting South America is the provocation of fires (many of which are believed to be of malicious origin) that have plagued the continent. The other is a serious water shortage that affects rivers, which (also) causes problems with navigation.
Of particular concern is the Paraguay River, particularly important for grain transportation, whose water levels are at historic lows due to a severe drought that has particularly affected Brazil. At the beginning of the second week of September, the river reached a historic low in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, recording -0.82 meters below hydrometric zero, breaking the previous negative record set in 2021.
The Paraguay is an indispensable communication route for various South American countries, a 3,400 km long river originating in Brazil and then crossing Paraguay and Argentina, touching also Bolivia and Uruguay with its various tributaries. Millions of tons of agri-food products destined for export pass through the territory. Economic damage to the countries directly affected could have implications at the global level, given that, for example, Argentina is the world’s largest producer of soybean oil and flour, and Paraguay is the third largest.
The waterway then flows into the Paraná, which Argentine authorities explain is itself at a historic low.
“Ships must carry volumes below the average payload. This has caused delays and increased travel time,” a spokesman for the Paraguayan Oilseed and Grain Processing Chamber (CAPPRO) told Reuters. The deputy director of Paraguay’s Meteorology and Hydrology Office, Jorge Sanchez, explained to the British agency at the time that even the outlook for the next few months (October and November will be the rainy season) is not rosy: in fact, there will be less rain than normally expected due to the La Niña meteorological phenomenon.
