Solar power helps Amazon communities ditch diesel and prepare for El Niño drought

SANTAREM, Brazil (AP) — Off-grid solar power is spreading across Brazil’s Amazon, helping remote communities prepare for severe drought while replacing costly, polluting diesel generators. In Nova Sociedade, where residents walked up to 20 kilometers for water during the historic 2024 drought, solar panels now power pumps supplying clean water to 36 families. Household systems provide lighting and phone charging, while installations elsewhere support schools, health clinics and local businesses. More than 100,000 off-grid systems were operating by 2026. Advocates say renewable energy can strengthen Indigenous and traditional communities, improve climate resilience and help protect the rainforest. By Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Associated Press Banner image: Felipe Arapiuns, who is part of the Arapium Indigenous group, installs a donated solar panel on the roof of his home in the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Image courtesy of Andre Penner, Associated Press Credits Topics