Weather Disasters and Their Underreported Impacts on Amazonian Communities

Abstract

Weather disasters in Amazonia have intensified recently, presenting significant challenges to ecosystems and populations. Despite variable cross-country reporting, analyzing data from 2013 to 2023 across nine countries reveals 12,541 disasters with impacts affecting millions of Amazonians and incurring massive infrastructure damage. As global warming intensifies extreme weather, climate change has contributed to landslides, floods, and wildfires. These exacerbate income and health disparities and impact vulnerable populations, including Indigenous communities, threatening economies and quality of life. To mitigate and adapt to climate impacts in Amazonia requires immediate action to standardize reporting, coordinate regional efforts on disaster preparedness and climate, prioritize resilience in infrastructure and services, and strengthen environmental governance.