Experts say the wildfires in a region that spans Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay – especially the region between the Paraguay, Parana, and Uruguay rivers – have become critical in 2020.
Just over two months after completing a special outflow to increase the level of the drought-stricken Paraná River, the world largest operational hydroelectric dam, Itaipu, located on the border of Brazil with Paraguay, will increase energy production to help sailing along the huge South American water artery.
Due to the Paraná river drought, which affected Argentina’s soy oil-exporting capacity, Cattalini Terminais Marítimos, which handles almost 70% of Brazil’s soy oil exports through its facilities in the port of Paranaguá, predicts a 25% increase in shipments this year.
The world's largest operational hydroelectric dam, Itaipu Plant announced that starting next Monday, May 18, it will open its spillway to help Paraguay and Argentina, which are suffering from a drought and hence having problems transporting their grain harvest.
The governments of Argentina and Brazil are in talks to release water from the giant Itaipu Dam with a view to topping up the Parana River, where ebbing levels are conspiring against a US$ 20-billion-a-year crop export business.
Below normal rains in the Parana-Paraguay water basin is hampering grain transport through waterways in Argentina as the water level of the river has dropped significantly, Bolsa de Comercio de Rosario, or BCR, said in a report.
Large grain transport ships using Argentine’s port hub of Rosario have had to reduce their cargo by between 3,200 and 4,300 tons because of an unusually low water level in the Parana River, the Rosario grains exchange said this week.
Grains shipping on Argentina’s Parana River was returning to normal on Saturday after a ship ran aground on Friday, causing delays, the head of Argentina’s Chamber of Port and Maritime Activity said.
Floods have killed nine people and driven tens of thousands of people from their homes while swelling rivers to record levels in southern Brazil and neighboring Paraguay and Argentina, authorities said Tuesday.
The Iguazu National Park in Argentina has taken precaution measures and closed access to the Devil's Gorge of the world famous Iguazú falls because of an imminent rise in water levels after the Itaipu and Yacireta dams announced they will be forced to increase the outflow.