Future intensification of Amazon drought resulting from climate change may cause increased fire activity, tree mortality, and emissions of carbon to the atmosphere across large areas of Amazonia. To provide a basis for addressing these issues, we examine properties of recent and future meteorological droughts in the Amazon in 35 climate models.

A faster and more cost-effective way to reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon would be the immediate allocation of ca. 70 million hectares of still undesignated public forestlands to conservation and social use.