South American monsoon heading towards ‘tipping point’ likely to cause Amazon dieback

There have been three statistically one-in-100-year droughts in the Amazon in the space of a single decade. Photograph: Raphael Alves/EPA

The South American monsoon, which determines the climate of much of the continent, is being pushed towards a “critical destabilisation point”, according to a study that links regional rainfall to Amazon deforestation and global heating.

The authors of the report said they found their results “shocking” and urged policymakers to act with urgency to forestall a tipping point, which could result in up to 30% less rainfall, a dieback of the forest and a dire impact on food production.