Neither half-full nor half-empty, glass is overflowing or bone dry in the Amazon

The Amazon is the world’s largest river basin, covering the vast majority of Brazil’s North region and spilling over into eight other South American countries. The largest waterway in this system is the eponymous Amazon River, the largest in the world and the result of the confluence of the Negro and Solimões Rivers — all three of which cut through the vast Brazilian state of Amazonas.

Amid record levels of deforestation, the Amazon region is facing a climate dilemma.

While parts of the river basin have seen above-average levels of rainfall — causing waterways to break their banks and cause significant damage — other areas are facing droughts, sparking fears of a particularly devastating wildfire season over the coming months.

Of the 62 cities in Amazonas state, 58 have been inundated with water from the Negro and Solimões Rivers. Twenty-eight are currently in a state of emergency. The floods have affected roughly 500,000 people to varying degrees.

In the state capital of Manaus, the Negro River has...