Amazon, risk of navigation crisis due to drought and delays in dredging

The dry season is approaching its peak and the risk of a new crisis for navigation is growing in the Amazon, amid delays in the dredging necessary to keep the seabed navigable. This is what the sector associations report to Agencia Infra, highlighting that the problems for transport could begin from mid-September, with the most critical period expected between October and November, also coinciding with the worsening of the drought linked to El Nino. The National Department for Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) has announced that dredging in the most critical sections should begin in the first half of September. The sector fears that the interventions are not sufficient. The crisis could also have repercussions on the Manaus Free Zone, which depends on river transport for the arrival of components and the distribution of industrial products. One of the most problematic points is the Tabocal stretch where the reduction in the level of the Amazon River could bring the depth to around seven meters in November, making it difficult for container ships to pass. Shipowners are already forced to reduce cargoes, increasing costs. In the event of a further decline, ships could stop in Itacoatiara and goods be transferred to barges, capable of navigating shallower waters. Port companies and terminals are preparing for possible emergency measures: the main operators have set up part of a floating dock to allow the transhipment of containers, a solution used during the 2023 drought.