Brazil's Cities Cancel Carnival Because of Drought

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/28497-brazils-cities-cancel-carnival-because-of-drought

Several cities in the southeast of Brazil have called off Carnival this year due to a serious drought that has plagued the region for months and shows no signs of abating.

Brazil is famous for its Carnival, a week-long street festival where people party day and night, bringing Samba music and elaborate colorful costumes to the street, to mark the beginning to Lent. This year's Good Friday, which marks the beginning of Carnival, lands on Friday, Feb. 13.

However, at least 15 cities and towns in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais and San Paolo have already called off all or parts of their Carnival festivities because of the region's water crisis. Both states have been suffering from drought for more than a year, with the water situation worsening. This has been the regions' worst drought in at least eight years.

In December, authorities warned that the city of San Paolo in San Paolo State – Brazil's largest and most populous city – had already tapped into its emergency water reserves and had merely two to three months left of guaranteed water supply.

Though Carnival is still set to go ahead in San Paolo, many city counselors have called for its cancellation. However, other cities in the state have chosen to air on the side of caution.