The 2014–17 Brazilian drought was a severe drought affecting the southeast of Brazil including the metropolitan areas of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, it has been described as the worst drought in 100 years. The metropolis of São Paulo appeared to be affected the most and by the beginning of February many of its residents were subjected to sporadic water cutoffs. Rain at the end of 2015 and in early 2016 brought relief, however, long term problems in water supply remain in São Paulo state.
Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo were still being affected by drought in 2016 due to the 2014–16 El Niño event. In these areas the rains are irregular since 2014 and the drought worsened from 2015. Over 50% of Brazil was affected, as the drought spanned sections of all nine northeastern states. Between 2012-2015, the federal government decreed a state of “public calamity” over 6,200 times due to the droughts.
This is the worst drought in Brazil in the last 100 years, according to the O Estado de S. Paulo in September 2017.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying 2014–17 Brazilian drought alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
See what is happening right now on the live world incident map, browse every droughts we track on the Drought tracker, or follow live incidents in Brazil.