"Goats are the main and sometimes only source of income for the people of Macurure, a small town in the Brazilian sertao. This rural hinterland in the country's north-east is known for its dry climate and harsh conditions. But earning a living from goat rearing is becoming more difficult as the dry season extends and the native vegetation withers in the Caatinga, a shrubland and thorn forest biome that spans much of the sertao, leaving even these hardy animals starved for food."
"In 2023, researchers found that a 5,700 sq km area in Brazil's semi-arid north-east could be classified as an arid region the first in the country a change brought on by decreased rainfall and higher temperatures over a sustained period. We never previously had an arid zone [in Brazil], says Ana Martins do Amaral Cunha, a researcher at the national centre for monitoring and warning on natural disasters (Cemaden), and one of the study's authors."
Every Tuesday at dawn, goat herder Raildon Suplicio Maia travels to the market in Macurure, Bahia, to sell animals that are reared freely. Goats constitute the main and sometimes only source of income for Macurure residents. The Caatinga shrubland that supports grazing is drying as the dry season lengthens, causing native vegetation to wither and leaving goats starved. Farmers increasingly spend sale income on purchased feed. In 2023 a 5,700 sq km area of Brazil's semi-arid north-east was classified as arid for the first time, reflecting sustained decreased rainfall and higher temperatures. The temperature rise is linked to anthropogenic global warming and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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