rel-sintese-rios-voadores-8b81fb12d5536ba7.pdf

The report argues that the Amazon rainforest is a strategic national asset because its evapotranspiration creates 'flying rivers' that distribute rainfall across Brazil. Deforestation, which has already affected about 20% of the biome, reduces this moisture transport, leading to significant economic losses. The document provides evidence of billion-real losses in hydroelectric power generation and highlights vulnerabilities in the rain-dependent agricultural sector, urban water systems like São Paulo's Cantareira, and the navigability of key waterways. It concludes that protecting the Amazon is a strategic imperative for national economic security.

• The Amazon rainforest generates 'flying rivers' by returning water to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, which then distributes rainfall to the North, Center-West, South, and much of the Southeast regions of Brazil.
• Deforestation of the Amazon has caused direct financial losses for hydroelectric power plants; the Teles Pires plant loses an average of R$ 115 million annually, while Itaipu and Belo Monte together have lost the potential to generate 3,700 GWh per year, representing a potential annual loss exceeding R$ 1 billion.
• Brazilian agriculture is highly vulnerable to changes in rainfall patterns because only 13% of the agricultural area is irrigated as of 2022. Water scarcity between 2013 and 2022 resulted in estimated losses of R$ 186 billion in agricultural production and R$ 64 billion in livestock.
• Urban water supply in high-population areas is threatened by the disruption of flying rivers, exemplified by the Cantareira system in São Paulo, which has faced prolonged drought conditions since 2014.
• Reduced rainfall from deforestation lowers the resilience of vegetation to fire. In 2024, fires burned over 30.8 million hectares (a 79% increase over 2023), causing R$ 14.7 billion in financial losses, including R$ 8 billion in livestock and pasture and R$ 2.7 billion in sugarcane.
• Water scarcity severely impacts the efficiency of Brazilian waterways; for instance, the 2023 Amazon drought reduced grain outflow by approximately 40%, and in 2024, the Madeira River reached a record low depth of 25 cm, halting operations at the port of Porto Velho.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (n.d.). rel-sintese-rios-voadores-8b81fb12d5536ba7.pdf. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/REL-Sintese-Rios-Voadores.pdf

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. rel-sintese-rios-voadores-8b81fb12d5536ba7.pdf. n.d. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/REL-Sintese-Rios-Voadores.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=rel-sintese-rios-voadores-8b81fb12d5536ba7.pdf |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/REL-Sintese-Rios-Voadores.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiativendrelsinteseriosvoadores8b81fb12d5536ba7pdf, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{rel-sintese-rios-voadores-8b81fb12d5536ba7.pdf}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/REL-Sintese-Rios-Voadores.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }