For the first time since 2002 Brazil may be forced to introduce power rationing, as high temperatures and a relentless drought in the Northeast have severely diminished reservoir levels. In the Northeast the worst drought the region has seen for half a century is crippling agriculture production and destroying livelihoods. December saw half of the rain that is average in the region and some areas have not seen significant rainfall for twenty months. Reservoirs are currently running at 31.61 percent of capacity, well below the 34 percent required to guarantee electricity supplies. “We are experiencing the worst drought in fifty years, with consequences that could be compared to a violent … Continue reading Lucy Jordan