Isolated populations and damaged economies: the downspout of the Paraguay River is a concern

The waters of the Paraguay River are below the optimal levels of use, a situation that affects the navigability and the economy of merchants, companies and riverside populations. 

The downspout, which also harms the Paraná River, has been recorded for three years due to the La Niña phenomenon.

The drop in water level at the beginning of 2023 is only half a meter from a historical record. In 2021, the Paraguay River registered the steepest drop in the last 100 years, reaching a level of -0.75 meters. On January 4, the level was -0.14 m, after a couple of days of rain that raised the flow by 11 centimeters.

Despite the rainfall, the drop is once again pronounced, given the drought and heat wave suffered by parts of Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. 

“It is a very complicated situation […]. We are going to have rains in January, but these are not going to be enough and then we will have a very dry and hot month of February,” explained Juan Carlos Muñoz, director of the National Administration of Navigation and Ports, to Paraguay News.

The downspout affects the Paraguay River basins in all its extension. In the department of Concepción (center) dredging is not enough to ensure navigation, so boat trips from there to Bahía Negra, in Alto Paraguay (north), are limited depending on the draft of the vessels.

“You cannot navigate without the corresponding level. It is not an atypical situation, for three years we have been dragging this downspout regarding the La Niña phenomenon,” José Aguiar, naval prefect of Concepción, told La Nación.

The situation has an impact on companies and merchants that transport materials and merchandise through the river. 

The Aquidabán ship, which works as a kind of floating supermarket that goes from Concepción to Bahía Negra, had to suspend trips due to the downspout. 

Vendors often travel aboard this boat and are now unable to work or supply the coastal towns along the river with their products.

Bahía Negra is one of the most affected populations, since the 2,500 inhabitants who live there cannot access the products that only arrived in Aquidabán, and who, in turn, have difficulties moving by land because the roads are in bad conditions due to the rains that occurred this week.

The downspout of the Paraná River also worries the authorities. Luis Jara, head of the Department of Navigation and Hydrography of the Paraná River Mixed Commission, told Radio Nacional del Paraguay that the situation is critical at Loro Cuarto, a section of the river shared with Argentina. There the water is only 0.50 meters deep and the aim is to improve navigability with dredging.

With information from Sputnik