Search Results (13)

The objective was to evaluate the quality of an instrument to measure the experience of household water insecurity (WI) and the factors associated with the prevalence of WI in an urban area in a municipality in the Western Brazilian Amazon. A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted to investigate 983 urban households. The Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale was used to measure the psychometric properties of reliability and validity. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and the prevalence ratio (PR, 95% CI) was calculated, considering WI as the dependent variable and the other household variables as independent variables. WI affected 46.2% (95% CI: 43.0–49.4%) of the households, independently associated with: head of the family as parent/other and presence of a child in the household. The instrument exhibited unidimensionality in the factor analyses and was considered to be both reliable and valid, as indicated by a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.958. Household WI is a serious public health problem in the Amazon in correlation with both social vulnerability and a lack of public services. As a preliminary approach, the scale proved to be valid and reliable. However, considering the Amazonian context, misunderstandings about some issues by respondents were identified, and further validation studies are needed to improve the intelligibility of these questions. Full article

Amazonian parrots (Psittacidae) are essential to ecosystem balance. Already vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and weak environmental regulations, they are now increasingly threatened by heavy metal contamination. This review synthesizes evidence on the sources, transgenerational bioaccumulation, and physiological impacts of metals such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) in these birds. Anthropogenic activities, including illegal gold mining, agricultural intensification, and urban expansion, release metals that biomagnify along food webs. Parrots, as long-lived, high-trophic consumers, accumulate metals in vital tissues, leading to severe neurotoxic effects, immunosuppression, reproductive failure, and reduced survival. Furthermore, maternal transfer of contaminants to eggs exacerbates genetic erosion and threatens population viability. While biomonitoring tools and habitat restoration have been proposed, current strategies are insufficient against the synergistic pressures of pollution and climate change. Addressing heavy metal exposure is critical to conserving Amazonian biodiversity and safe-guarding ecosystem services. Future efforts should prioritize multidisciplinary predictive models, bioremediation actions, and the strengthening of international environmental governance to ensure the survival of these sentinel species. Full article

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is a significant public health issue, particularly in urbanizing regions like the Peruvian Amazon, where lifestyle changes have increased the prevalence of metabolic disorders. This study aimed to develop and validate a simple, cost-effective diagnostic model for early detection of metabolic syndrome in the urban population of San Juan Bautista, Iquitos. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 251 adults aged over 18 years. Data collection included anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, and biochemical assessments. Logistic regression analyses identified key predictors of metabolic syndrome, and clinical decision trees were developed to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 47.9%. Systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were the strongest predictors. The most effective diagnostic model, combining very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, achieved a sensitivity of 91.6% and a specificity of 78.5%, demonstrating high diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: The proposed model offers a practical, low-cost tool for early detection of metabolic syndrome in resource-limited urban settings. However, its findings are limited by the small sample size and the lack of external validation, requiring further studies to confirm its generalizability and applicability to other populations. Its implementation in primary healthcare could facilitate timely interventions, reducing the risk of chronic diseases in vulnerable populations. Full article

As climate change intensifies and 2023 sets the record for the hottest year, the Amazonian region faces severe drought, leading to a hydroelectricity crisis. This study examines the effects of using environmentally harmful backup power solutions, which are all too common in developing countries—specifically, diesel-powered generators—on urban air quality in Quito, Ecuador, during the hydroelectric crisis of 2023/2024. The impact of the blackouts on air pollution is assessed by comparing it to a reference period before the crisis and to an earlier year with similar weather conditions. The findings indicate that extended blackouts (up to 8 h per day) considerably increased concentrations of SO₂ (180%), CO (43%), NO₂ (39%), and PM_2.5 (20%) compared to ‘normal’ conditions. Conversely, O₃ pollution levels decreased (−6%). Our findings suggest potential respiratory and cardiovascular health risks for the urban population, highlighting the urgent need for improved energy infrastructure and cleaner backup power solutions in the developing world. Addressing these challenges is critical for ensuring a healthier and more sustainable urban future amidst climate change projections. Full article

The focus of this work is on small municipalities (population below 50 thousand inhabitants) that cover around 87% of the territory of the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA). Based on a comprehensive integrated analysis approach using the three components hazard (climate extremes from CMIP6 future scenarios), exposure (directly affected population), and vulnerability (subdimensions of susceptibility and coping/adaptive capacity by using multidimensional indicators), the latter two using current datasets provided by the official Census IBGE 2022, we document a quantitative assessment of the risk R of natural disasters in the BLA region. We evidenced a worrying and imminent intensification of the curve of R in most Amazonian municipalities over the next two 25-year periods. The overall results of the highest proportions of R (total municipalities affected) pointed out the Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, and Maranhão as the main states, presenting projected categories of R high in the near future (2015 to 2039) and very high in the far future (2040 to 2064). The detailed assessment of the susceptibility and coping/adaptive capacity allowed us to elucidate the principal indicators that aggravate the degree of vulnerability: economy, the precariousness of urban infrastructure, medical services, communication, and urban mobility, whose combined factors, unfortunately, reveal a widespread poverty profile along the small Amazonian municipalities. Our scientific findings can assist decision makers in targeted strategies planning and public policies to minimize and mitigate ongoing and future climate change. Full article

The Amazon has a population that is largely urban. However, research is limited regarding representations and analysis of the urban Amazon. This article represents and describes Amazonian urban areas by applying a multicriteria urbanization index. Using the Ecuadorian Amazon as a case study, we constructed this index considering spatial indicators of fractal dimension, number of paved streets, urban luminosity, population density, and Euclidean distances from each urban patch to the closest deforested area, to the closest oil pollution point, and to the closest mining pollution point. The multicriteria urbanization index was classified in five classes (degrees) of urbanization: very low, low, medium, high, and very high levels of urbanization. Most of the urban areas have a low degree of urbanization; notwithstanding, there are areas with a medium degree of urbanization encompassing consolidated cities and suburbs, with a high potential for extension in the future. There are also areas of high and very high urbanization related to the oil industry, including cities which have a high impact on the territorial system of the Amazon. This investigation serves as an introduction to multidimensional spatial and quantitative analyses of the urban Amazon. We suggest monitoring the urban advance in the Amazon using the index developed in this investigation, to support better territorial planning in this region of the world having high strategical importance. Full article

The aim of this study was to assess precipitation (P) and actual evapotranspiration (ET) by analyzing data from in situ stations compared with remote sensing products. Climate Hazards Center InfraRed Precipitation (CHIRP) and Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH) were used for P and Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) was used for ET. The P in situ data for six stations were also compared to a reference station in the city. ET was analyzed for a single in situ station. The region chosen for this study was the Metropolitan Area of Belem (MAB), close to the estuary of the Amazon River and the mouth of the Tocantins River. Belem is the rainiest state capital in Brazil, which causes a myriad of challenges for the local population. The assessment was performed using the statistical metrics root-mean-square error (RMSE), normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE), mean bias error (MBE), coefficient of determination (R2), regression slope, and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (NS). For the reference station, the automatic and conventional CHIRP and CMORPH results, in mm/month, were as follows: automatic CHIRP: RMSE = 93.3, NRMSE = 0.32, MBE = −33.54, R2 = 0.7048, Slope = 0.945, NS = 0.5668; CMORPH: RMSE = 195.93, NRMSE = 0.37, MBE = −52.86, R2 = 0.6731, Slope = 0.93, NS = 0.4344; conventional station CHIRP: RMSE = 94.87, NRMSE = 0.32, MBE = −33.54, R2 = 0.7048, Slope = 0.945, NS = 0.5668; CMORPH: RMSE = 105.58, NRMSE = 0.38, MBE = −59.46 R2 = 0.7728, Slope = 1.007, NS = 0.4308. In the MAB region, ET ranges on average between 83 mm/month in the Amazonian summer and 112 mm/month in the Amazonian winter. This work concludes that, although CMORPH has a coarser resolution than CHIRP for the MAB at a monthly resolution, both remote sensing products were reliable. SSEBop also showed acceptable performance. For analyses of the consistency of precipitation time series, these products could provide more accurate information. The present study validates P and ET from remote sensing products with station data in the rain-dominated urban MAB. Full article

Impact studies have contributed to a better integrated scientific understanding of the climate and environment of the Amazon, in the present, past, and future. This work aims to describe the regional impacts of human-induced landcover changes on the RAINY (January to April) and DRY (July to November) regime of the Metropolitan Region of Belém (MRB), the first frontier of Amazonian occupation. Furthermore, a dynamic downscaling (RegCM4 driven by HadGEM2-ES under the RCP8.5 scenario) was performed to investigate future global climate change impacts. A present climate (1985/2020) quantitative analysis showed that the disorderly urban enlargement in Belém and the forest suppression that led to the uncontrolled expansion of pasture/agriculture area over MRB has conditioned a local warmer climate with a significant increasing air temperature trend in both seasonal regimes. Another clear piece of evidence was the systematic intensification of the precipitation during the RAINY period. RegCM4 simulations indicate that the region will be impacted by the global climate change, such that warmer conditions in the DRY and intensified rainfall in the RAINY regime are expected to persist in the coming decades (2021/2045). Our findings for the MRB (area 3565 km² for a population about 2.5 million inhabitants) are relevant and should be considered in the tasks of long-term planning and elaboration of advanced strategies to mitigate future climate-related risks and urban disaster management. Full article

Although 70% of the Amazon population lives in urban areas, studies on the urban Amazon are scarce. Much of the urban Amazon population lives in precarious settlements. The distinctiveness and diversity of Amazonian precarious settlements are vast and must be identified to be considered in the development of appropriate public policies. Aiming at investigating precarious settlements in Amazon, this study is guided by the following questions: For the Brazilian Amazon region, is it possible to identify areas of precarious settlements by combining geoprocessing and remote sensing techniques? Are there different typologies of precarious settlements distinguishable by their spatial arrangements? Thus, we developed a methodology for identifying precarious settlements and subsequently classifying them into urban fabric typologies (UFT), choosing the cities of Altamira, Cametá, and Marabá as study sites. Our classification model utilized geographic objects-based image analysis (GEOBIA) and data mining of spectral data from WPM sensor images from the CBERS-4A satellite, jointly with texture metrics, context metrics, biophysical index, voluntary geographical information, and neighborhood relationships. With the C5.0 decision tree algorithm we carried out variable selection and classification of these geographic objects. Our estimated models show accuracy above 90% when applied to the study sites. Additionally, we described Amazonian UFT in six types to be identified. We concluded that Amazonian precarious settlements are morphologically diverse, with an urban fabric different from those commonly found in Brazilian metropolitan areas. Identifying and characterizing distinct precarious areas is vital for the planning and development of sustainable and effective public policies for the urban Amazon. Full article

The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world and a source of healthy food, such as fruits and fish. Surprisingly, the Amazonian riverine population present an increased prevalence (as high as 58%) of non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and insulin resistance, even higher than that described for the urban population of the Amazon. Therefore, this work aimed to analyze the nutritional status and associated risk of the riverine population. Body mass index, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio, and neck circumference (NC) were evaluated, and risk analysis was assayed. Furthermore, data about occupation and the prevalence of consumers of the different groups of food were analyzed. All anthropometric parameters revealed high proportions of individuals at risk, WC and NC being the factors that had more high-risk women and men, respectively. Our data confirmed the characteristic profile of the riverine communities with a high number of fish consumers, but also observed different patterns probably associated to a phenomenon of nutrition transition. Based on our data, some nudge interventions that take into account the principles of behavior analysis are discussed and proposed for these populations, aiming to improve the nutritional status and avoid the long-term consequences of the results showed by this work. Full article

Over the decades, hydropower complexes have been built in several hydrographic basins of Brazil including the Amazon region. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of these constructions on the environment and local communities. This work presents a land use and land cover change temporal analysis considering a 33-year period (1985–2018) in the direct influence zone of the Braço Norte Hydropower Complex, Brazilian Amazonia, using the Collection 4.1 level 3 of the freely available MapBiomas dataset. Additionally, we have assessed the Brazilian Amazon large-scale deforestation process acting as a land use and land cover change driver in the study area. Our findings show that the most impacted land cover was forest formation (from 414 km² to 287 km², a reduction of 69%), which primarily shifted into pasturelands (increase of 664%, from 40 km² to 299 km²). The construction of the hydropower complex also triggered indirect impacts such as the presence of urban areas in 2018 and the consequent increased local demand for crops. Together with the ongoing large-scale Amazonian deforestation process, the construction of the complex has intensified changes in the study area as 56.42% of the pixels were changed between 1985 and 2018. This indicates the importance of accurate economic and environmental impact studies for assessing social and environmental consequences of future construction in this unique region. Our results reveal the need for adopting special policies to minimize the impact of these constructions, for example, the creation of Protected Areas and the definition of locally-adjusted parameters for the ecological-economic zoning considering environmental and social circumstances derived from the local actors that depend on the natural environment to subsist such as indigenous peoples, riverine population, and artisanal fishermen. Full article

The Amazon River basin is the largest tropical forest in the world. Most of the Amazon belongs to Brazil, a developing country that currently faces huge challenges related to the consolidation of its universal healthcare system. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in Brazil, accounting for 74% of all deaths, and NCDs are probably underestimated in Amazonian population because of their geographical isolation and the precariousness of riverine communities. Important risk factors, such as genetic susceptibility, remain undetermined in the riverine population. This study performed fasting blood sugar (FBS) and blood pressure measurements and investigated the presence of the ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE4) to determine the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and the genetic risk of NCDs. FBS and APOE4 were measured in blood samples from 763 participants using spectrometry and real-time PCR; 67.5% showed altered measurements, and 57.9% had never been diagnosed or treated. Altered FBS was found in 28.3% of the participants, hypertension in 57.6% and APOE4 in 32.0%. The health profile of the riverine population appears to differ from that of urban population in the Amazon. Additional risk factors for NCDs, such as environmental contamination and nutritional transition, may contribute more than increased genetic susceptibility to the prevalence of altered FBS and hypertension. Our results will help guide the development of preventive strategies and governmental actions for more effective management of NCDs in the Amazon area. Full article

The neurotoxic effects of fish-methylmercury (meHg) consumed regularly are considered hazardous to fetuses and newborn infants; as a result fish consumption advisories are an important asset to control meHg exposure in affluent societies. These concerns are now part of health promotion programs for Amazon subsistence villagers. While urban dwellers in affluent societies can choose an alternative nutritious diet, traditional and subsistence communities are caught up in controversial issues and lifestyle changes with unintended health consequences. Traditional fish-eating populations of industrialized and non-industrialized regions may be exposed to different neurotoxic substances: man-made pollutants and environmentally occurring meHg. Additionally, in non-industrialized countries, pregnant women and infants are still being immunized with thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) which degrade to ethylmercury (etHg). Therefore, the complexity involving fish-meHg associated with wild-fish choices and Hg exposure derived from TCVs is difficult to disentangle and evaluate: are villagers able to distinguish exposure to differently hazardous chemical forms of Hg (inorganic, fish-meHg, and injected etHg)? Is it possible that instead of helping to prevent a plausible (unperceived) fish-meHg associated neurocognitive delay we may inadvertently arouse panic surrounding Hg exposure and disrupt subsistence fish-eating habits (necessary for survival) and life-saving vaccination programs (required by public health authorities)? These questions characterize the incompleteness of information related on the various chemical forms of Hg exposure and the need to convey messages that do not disrupt nutritional balance and disease prevention policies directed at Amazonian subsistence communities. Full article