The scenario in different parts of Manaus changed radically within a period of five months. Between June and November 2026, the landscape marked by river floods gave way to areas of exposed soil, sandbanks, accumulation of trash and smoke on the horizon. Records made by g1 show the transformation of strategic points in the capital during the transition between high and low water periods.
One of the places that point to this change is Marina do Davi, in the West Zone of Manaus. At the point of embarkation and disembarkation of people arriving or accessing riverside communities, the g1 team found floating structures supported on the ground, amid the travel difficulties faced by residents and workers who depend on river transport.
The change can also be observed in the city's port area, from Mirante Lúcia Almeida, in the central region of the capital. In images recorded in June, water occupied a large part of the landscape. Now, with the level of the Rio Negro falling, areas are exposed, revealing a completely different scenario. There were also records of garbage on the banks of the river.
g1 also visited Orla do São Raimundo and Praia da Ponta Negra, in the South and West zones, respectively. The change in the landscape is also evident: in São Raimundo, a floating boat, which was in the river during the flood, became stranded in the port area, and where it was previously covered by the river, there are now cargo transport vehicles.
Maíra Oliveira lives in the Marina do Davi region, in the Tarumã neighborhood, in the West Zone of the city. He reported that the low water makes the routine of those who live and work in nearby communities difficult.
"It has been quite difficult because of the low water. The floating boats are all on land and this makes getting around very difficult. There is also the issue of who goes out to work", he said.
The drop in water levels also affects supply. According to Maíra, residents who use wells face the risk of running out of water when the drought intensifies.
"Those who stay floating use wells. If it dries out too much, the well also dries up and we end up running out of water", he explained.
Another problem highlighted is the accumulation of garbage on the banks and in streams. According to the resident, waste is carried by floodwaters during the rains and ends up accumulating in the region. Despite this, she estimates that the volume of trash left by this year's flood was less than that recorded last year.
"When it rains, a lot of garbage comes. But, in this drought, not as much as last year. We also do community cleaning work, together with the president here, collecting the waste around", he stated.
Maíra also demanded more attention from public authorities to improve the region's infrastructure. She highlighted the need for new bridges to facilitate access to communities, especially for people with reduced mobility, as well as improvements to the water supply.
"I wish the public authorities would look more at us. We got a well after a lot of struggle, because we depend on water to drink. There is already a bridge here, but we need another one that connects with the community, because it is very difficult to get here", he asked.
According to the most recent bulletin, released by the Government of Amazonas on Tuesday (3), more than 129,700 people have already been affected by the drought in the state. The data comes from the state Civil Defense, responsible for coordinating actions to combat the impacts of the drought.
The survey shows that 47 municipalities are in an emergency situation: Alvarães, Amaturá, Anamã, Anori, Apuí, Atalaia do Norte, Autazes, Barreirinha, Benjamin Constant, Boca do Acre, Borba, Boa Vista do Ramos, Caapiranga, Carauari, Careiro, Careiro da Várzea and Coari.
Also on the list are Eirunepé, Envira, Humaitá, Ipixuna, Itamarati, Japurá, Juruá, Jutaí, Lábrea, Manacapuru, Manaquiri, Manicoré, Maraã, Maués, Nhamundá, Nova Olinda do Norte, Novo Airão, Novo Aripuanã, Parintins, Pauini, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Santo Antônio do Içá, São Paulo of Olivença, Silves, Tapauá, Tefé, Tonantins, Uarini and Urucurituba.
Until October 27, the Government of Amazonas carried out assistance actions in 15 municipalities. 4,800 basic food baskets were distributed, equivalent to approximately 96 tons of food, in addition to 3,400 cleaning kits, 3,060 water tanks with a capacity of 500 liters, three 5,000-liter reservoirs and 18 water purification kits.
One day earlier, on October 26, the state Executive declared a public health emergency for 180 days due to the impacts of severe drought in the state. The measure was published in the Official Gazette and took into account the isolation of communities, the difficulties in transporting health materials and problems in serving the population.
According to the decree, a preliminary survey by the state Civil Defense identified 562 communities isolated by dry rivers. The situation makes it difficult for residents to access health services and could compromise the transport of patients and the supply of medicines and medical oxygen.
