Riverine communities in the Central Amazon are largely subject to erosion and sedimentation risk

In this study, environmental observations are combined with regional socioeconomic data to assess erosion and sedimentation risks for river-floodplain communities in the Central Amazon. Long-term trends in open water changes (indicating sedimentation and erosion hazards) are integrated with exposure (population size) and social vulnerability (socioeconomic indices) to estimate risk levels for each community.

Findings indicate that half of the region's population, residing in either uplands or floodplains, is exposed to an unstable riverscape, with 18.5% of communities affected by sedimentation and 26% by erosion. Among the 51 communities assessed, four are classified as being at very high risk, while seven face high to moderate risk. The study underscores the necessity of incorporating sedimentary processes into disaster management strategies to address the evolving river landscapes of the Amazon.