Scientists warn that climate change is responsible for Brazil’s worst flooding in 80 years

Devastating floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul have killed dozens of people and displaced thousands more in recent days, following one of the most catastrophic natural disasters the country has seen in decades.

On Tuesday evening, 90 deaths were reported in the region, a number expected to increase significantly in the coming days. More rain was expected Tuesday evening, further hampering recovery efforts, which are already slow due to the overwhelming need for shelter, food, hygiene products and other essentials.

It is estimated that the floods have displaced more than 150,000 people from their homes, with another 50,000 residents living in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters. The Associated Press reported. With temperatures dropping into the 50s at night and not enough blankets to go around, the population now faces the possibility of widespread hypothermia.

Access to safe drinking water in the state capital, Porto Alegre, is also a problem, with about 80 percent of the city without running water due to the flooding.

Last week’s rain totals are nearly 70 percent of what the region normally sees for the entire month of April. The floods are the worst Brazil has seen in 80 years, and continued storms hitting the region will make things “much worse,” Governor Eduardo Leite said on Friday.

More than 265 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul have been affected by the floods. In addition to deaths and displacement, 350,000 people have experienced at least some form of material damage.

The floods are likely to affect the rest of the country, especially when it comes to food supplies, as Rio Grande do Sul produces about 70 percent of Brazil’s rice.

Several scientists have stated outright that two factors are responsible for the floods: this year’s El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, and the effects of human-induced global climate change.

Climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino has described the two factors as a “disastrous cocktail.” Brazilian climate activist Bruon Brezenski has described the devastation caused by the storms as “a scene of war.”

‘Of recent global catastrophes, this is undoubtedly one of the worst’ Brezenski said on X.

“Unprecedented flooding in Brazil is another reminder that climate change is a problem now, and not just for future generations,” said Isaias Hernandezan environmental educator and founder of QueerBrownVegan.

Bárbara Calegari, an evolutionary biologist born in Rio Grande do Sul, shared an image of some of the devastation, noting that the floods were clearly more destructive due to climate change.

“This is my hometown in Brazil, flooded by heavy rain. The situation in my state is absolutely dramatic: several people have died and many others have lost their homes.” Calegari saidadding that it was unbelievable that “some people still don’t believe in climate change.”

Luiza Karpavicius, a Brazilian-born PhD candidate in environmental and climate economics at Aarhus University in Denmark, also commented on the flooding.

‘The era of extreme climate effects has arrived’ said Karpavicius. “It is important to remember that the most affected populations will continue to be the most vulnerable populations, who have historically contributed the least to climate change.”