Even a few dry years in the Amazon can have far-reaching consequences for people and nature alike.
The Amazonian droughts of 2005, 2007, and 2010 were more severe than any other droughts in the instrumentally observed period for the region. Although paleoclimate records suggest rainfall variability has been the norm around Amazonia, a short instrumental record in the region hampers our understanding of the causes of longer dry periods in the region. Model simulations often disagree about the future of Amazonian climate, but there is clear potential for drying as the region continues to warm.