The Paraguay River is recording below-normal levels, a paradoxical situation during a period when the El Niño phenomenon, typically associated with heavy rains, begins to settle in the region. At the port of Asunción, the level reached 2.53 meters, a significantly lower mark than the 3 meters recorded on the same date last year.
Jorge Sánchez, deputy director of Hydrology of Paraguay, explained that the reason lies in the water deficit accumulated since 2019, following prolonged periods of the La Niña phenomenon. The specialist noted that although a brief El Niño occurred between 2023 and 2024, the rains did not distribute in a way that adequately replenished the river's flow. The lack of significant rainfall in the Brazilian Pantanal, the main source feeding the Paraguay River, also worsens the situation, preventing the water inflow that mitigates the seasonal low.
Sánchez emphasized that the current behavior coincides with the natural dry period, which runs from May to October. However, the river entered this phase with already very low levels due to scarce rains in the previous cycle. The current level in Asunción is more than a meter below the hydrological average considered normal, which ranges between 3.5 and 4.5 meters.
When asked why the Paraná River suffered floods during the last El Niño while the Paraguay River remained low, the deputy director stated that each occurrence of the phenomenon is unique. The rains from the previous period were concentrated further south, benefiting the Paraná basin and causing floods in Porto Alegre, Brazil, while Paraguay was less affected.