SANTAREM, Brazil ( AP ) For the riverine community of Nova Sociedade, deep inside a protected area of Brazils Amazon rainforest , the Arapiuns River is the only route to the outside world.

The Arapiuns flows into the Tapajos, one of the Amazon Rivers major tributaries, across waterways so vast that navigating them can feel like crossing the open sea. Yet during a historic drought in 2024 , Nova Sociedades residents had to walk as far as 20 kilometers ( 12.4 miles ) in search of water.

At daybreak, our struggle would begin, said Tiago Silva, an Arapium Indigenous community leader in Nova Sociedade. Children carrying water, elderly people carrying water. We all suffered.

Two years later, the community is better prepared for this years El Ni09o, the naturally occurring climate phenomenon that raises global temperatures and can worsen drought in the Amazon.

In June, Nova Sociedade installed solar panels to power water pumps that fill storage tanks and provide clean water to all 36 families in the village. The Amazon-based nonprofit Saude e Alegria provided the system and has equipped 29 other communities with similar technology ahead of another possible severe drought.

Men, who are part of the Arapium Indigenous group, carry boxes containing donated solar-power systems in the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Ideilde Arapiuns, who is part of the Arapium Indigenous group, holds a box containing a donated solar-power system in the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Daiana Arapiuns, who is part of the Arapium Indigenous group, sits with relatives holding a box containing a donated solar-power system in the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

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. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Before solar power arrived, Nova Sociedade relied on diesel generators for basic electricity. Fuel is costly and polluting, and the generators provide limited, unreliable power.

Across the Amazon, the spread of off-grid solar power, closed systems not connected to utility companies, is helping remote communities reduce their reliance on diesel while improving access to clean water and electricity in homes, schools and health centers.

Last month, each Nova Sociedade household received its own solar-power system donated by Schneider Electric through Saude e Alegria. The easy-to-install kits include batteries to power lights at night and enough electricity to charge phones and other small devices.

This technology uses the power of the sun and can replace other ways of generating electricity that often require clearing the forest or burning fuel, the very practices driving global warming, Caetano Scannavino, an environmentalist and manager of Saude e Alegria, told residents as they received the solar kits. Scannavino also warned of another severe drought likely coming in October and November.

Arapium Indigenous leader Tiago Silva cools off with water pumped from a well using a solar-powered system in the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

As community leaders called chiefs of households, residents rose smiling to collect their kits.

Some described the technology as a blessing. Women artisans said better lighting would allow them to continue weaving traditional jewelry and baskets after sunset, extending the hours they can spend producing an important source of income.

Most of those still without power live in the Amazon

Tourist boats sit idle on sandbanks in the Arapiuns River near the Nova Sociedade community near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Nova Sociedade illustrates how off-grid solar power is changing daily life in isolated Amazon communities . Beyond providing water and household electricity, the technology is increasingly supporting schools, health centers and local businesses.

According to official data, the number of off-grid systems installed in remote areas of the Amazon rose from just 105 in 2020 to more than 11,000 in 2022. By 2026, it had exceeded 100,000.

Its fair to say that nearly all of these are solar installations, said Fabio Galdino dos Santos, a researcher at the Institute for Energy and Environment, or IEMA, a Brazilian nonprofit focused on sustainable energy.

More than 99% of Brazils 214 million residents had electricity access as of the 2022 census. Most of those still without power live in the Amazon, where isolation and high infrastructure costs have hindered electrification. About 1 million people in the region still lack access to electricity, according to IEMA.

Many off-grid communities have long relied on costly, polluting diesel generators. In Nova Sociedade, buying fuel requires a nearly three-hour boat trip to Santarem, the nearest city.

Even when fuel is available, electricity is limited. Generators typically shut down shortly after 10 p.m. and often lack enough capacity to run refrigerators. Temperatures there regularly exceed 35 degrees Celsius ( 95 degrees Fahrenheit ) .

Better healthcare and quieter schools

The Sao Benedito School, powered by solar panels on the roof, sits on the banks of the Tapajos River near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Across the Amazon, government-backed and philanthropic initiatives are expanding access to electricity, often prioritizing infrastructure that serves entire communities.

At a public health clinic in Ana, another riverine community along the Arapiuns River, newly installed solar panels allow staff to refrigerate vaccines, conduct telemedicine appointments and operate basic medical equipment, including nebulizers, which are essential when wildfire smoke covers the region.

In Surucua, a community along the Tapajos River, the arrival of solar power is most noticeable in the silence.

Until last year, Sao Benedito School, which serves all 116 of the communitys students, relied solely on a noisy diesel generator.

The Sao Benedito School, powered by solar panels on the roof, sits on the banks of the Tapajos River near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Today, all you hear are the children and the birds, said Rosenilce Cruz, the school principal. We couldnt work outdoors because the generator was so loud. Now, the children can read outside. We can carry out projects there, and you can hear both the children and the teacher perfectly.

The limited electricity supply also left classrooms dim and prevented the school from using refrigerators. Then the Santarem city government renovated the school and installed solar panels.

Today, our childrens meals are no longer based on canned foods but on fresh sources of protein. We now have a place to store that food because electricity is available 24 hours a day, Cruz added.

Solar power is also beginning to support local businesses. In neighboring Amazonas state, an acai processing facility in the Bela Conquista community, a remote village along the Solimoes River, recently shifted away from diesel-generated electricity.

Diesel power constrained production and left harvested fruit to spoil. The Foundation for Amazon Sustainability installed a solar-and-battery system in partnership with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and Brazils Ministry of Mines and Energy. The partners plan to develop 20 pilot projects over the next two to three years, supporting sustainable fishing, agriculture and fruit-processing businesses.

Rosenilce Cruz, the principal of the Sao Benedito School, talks about the solar energy that powers the school, near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

Students attend class at the Sao Benedito School, powered by solar panels on the roof, near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

The Amazon, the worlds largest rainforest , is vital to the global climate. It stores vast amounts of carbon, and moisture from its trees regulates temperatures and shapes weather across South America and beyond.

Protecting Indigenous and traditional territories is one of the most effective ways to preserve the rainforest. According to MapBiomas, an organization tracking land use, more than 80% of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon including 330 Indigenous territories recorded no deforestation in the first half of this year.

Strengthening such traditional communities, including those now powered by solar energy, could help keep the forest standing, said Lzaro Silva, an engineering professor and coordinator of the renewable energy laboratory at the Federal University of Western Para, in Santarem.

Silva and his students have installed 40 solar systems across 27 remote communities in the Amazon since 2022.

These communities have demonstrated a level of organization that makes them more resilient, helping them acknowledge their leading role in protecting the forest, he said.

Solar panels operate near water tanks in Nova Sociedade, a riverine Arapium Indigenous community, near Santarem, Para state, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. ( AP Photo/Andre Penner ) License this photo

The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

巴西圣塔伦（美联社）——对于居住在巴西亚马逊雨林保护区深处的河畔社区 " 新社会 " 而言，阿拉皮乌恩斯河是通往外界唯一的通道。

阿拉皮乌恩斯河汇入塔帕若斯河——亚马孙河的主要支流之一，其河道之宽阔，航行其间仿佛置身于汪洋大海。然而在 2024 年那场历史性的干旱中，新社会村的居民不得不跋涉长达 20 公里（约 12.4 英里）去寻找水源。

"" 天一亮，我们的苦日子就开始了，" 新社会村的阿拉皮乌姆原住民社区领袖蒂亚戈 · 席尔瓦说道。" 孩子们背水，老人们也背水。我们都受尽了苦。"

两年后，该社区已为今年的厄尔尼诺现象做好了更充分的准备。厄尔尼诺是一种自然发生的气候现象，会推高全球气温，并可能加剧亚马逊地区的干旱。

今年 6 月，新社会村安装了太阳能电池板，为水泵供电，将蓄水池注满，并为全村 36 户家庭提供清洁用水。总部位于亚马逊地区的非营利组织 " 健康与快乐 " 提供了这一系统，并在可能再次遭遇严重干旱之前，已为其他 29 个社区配备了类似技术。

在太阳能到来之前，新社会社区依赖柴油发电机获取基本电力。燃料昂贵且污染环境，发电机提供的电力有限且不稳定。

在整个亚马逊地区，离网太阳能发电（即不接入公用事业公司的封闭系统）的普及，正在帮助偏远社区减少对柴油的依赖，同时改善家庭、学校和医疗中心的清洁用水和电力供应。

上个月，诺瓦社会社区的每户家庭都收到了由施耐德电气通过 " 健康与欢乐 " 组织捐赠的太阳能发电系统。这套易于安装的套件包含电池，可在夜间为照明供电，并有足够的电力为手机和其他小型设备充电。

" 这项技术利用太阳能，可以取代其他通常需要砍伐森林或燃烧燃料的发电方式，而这些做法正是导致全球变暖的元凶。" 环保人士、Saude e Alegria 项目负责人卡埃塔诺 · 斯坎纳维诺在向居民发放太阳能设备时如是说。斯坎纳维诺还警告说，10 月和 11 月可能还会出现一次严重干旱。

当社区负责人点名各户家长时，居民们微笑着起身领取各自的物资包。

一些人将这项技术视为福音。女性手工艺人表示，更好的照明使她们能够在日落之后继续编织传统首饰和篮子，从而延长了从事这一重要收入来源的生产时间。

大部分仍处于断电状态的人居住在亚马逊地区。

新社会（Nova Sociedade）展示了离网太阳能如何改变亚马逊偏远社区的日常生活。除了提供水和家庭用电外，这项技术还越来越多地支持学校、医疗中心和当地企业。

据官方数据，亚马逊偏远地区安装的离网系统数量从 2020 年的仅 105 套增至 2022 年的超过 11000 套。到 2026 年，这一数字已突破 10 万套。

" 可以说，这些几乎全部是太阳能装置，" 巴西非营利组织能源与环境研究所（IEMA）研究员法比奥 · 加尔迪诺 · 多斯桑托斯表示。该研究所专注于可持续能源领域。

截至 2022 年人口普查，巴西 2.14 亿居民中超过 99% 已获得电力供应。仍无电可用的人群大多居住在亚马逊地区，该地区因地理位置偏远且基础设施成本高昂，电力普及进展缓慢。据 IEMA（巴西能源与环境研究所）统计，该地区仍有约 100 万人尚未通电。

许多离网社区长期以来一直依赖昂贵且污染严重的柴油发电机。在诺瓦索谢达德，购买燃料需要乘船近三个小时才能到达最近的城市圣塔伦。

即便有燃料供应，电力依然十分有限。发电机通常在晚上 10 点后不久便停止运转，且往往功率不足，无法带动冰箱运行。当地气温经常超过 35 摄氏度（95 华氏度）。

更好的医疗服务和更安静的校园

在整个亚马逊地区，政府支持及慈善性质的倡议正在扩大电力供应覆盖面，这些举措往往优先建设服务于整个社区的基础设施。

在阿拉皮乌恩斯河沿岸的另一个河畔社区安娜，一家公共卫生诊所新安装了太阳能电池板，使得工作人员能够冷藏疫苗、进行远程医疗会诊，并操作包括雾化器在内的基础医疗设备——当野火烟雾笼罩该地区时，这些设备至关重要。

在塔帕若斯河沿岸的苏鲁夸社区，太阳能的到来最显著地体现在那份宁静之中。

直到去年，为社区全部 116 名学生提供教育的圣贝内迪托学校，还完全依赖一台嘈杂的柴油发电机供电。

" 如今，你听到的只有孩子们的声音和鸟鸣，" 校长罗塞尼尔丝 · 克鲁兹说道。" 以前因为发电机噪音太大，我们没法在户外活动。现在，孩子们可以在室外读书，我们也能在那里开展项目，而且能清晰地听到孩子们和老师的声音。"

有限的电力供应还导致教室光线昏暗，学校也无法使用冰箱。后来，圣塔伦市政府对学校进行了翻新，并安装了太阳能电池板。

" 如今，我们孩子们的餐食不再依赖罐头食品，而是以新鲜的蛋白质来源为主。由于电力全天候供应，我们现在有了储存这些食物的条件，" 克鲁兹补充道。

太阳能也开始为当地企业提供支持。在邻近的亚马孙州，位于索利蒙伊斯河沿岸偏远村庄贝拉孔基斯塔社区的一家阿萨伊果加工厂，最近已弃用柴油发电，转而使用太阳能。

柴油发电限制了生产，导致采摘的水果腐烂变质。亚马逊可持续发展基金会与全球人类与地球能源联盟以及巴西矿业和能源部合作，安装了一套太阳能加电池储能系统。合作伙伴计划在未来两到三年内开发 20 个试点项目，支持可持续渔业、农业和水果加工产业。

亚马逊雨林是世界上最大的热带雨林，对全球气候至关重要。它储存着大量的碳，其树木释放的水分调节着气温，并影响着南美洲乃至更广泛地区的天气格局。

保护原住民及传统领地是保存雨林最有效的方式之一。据追踪土地使用的组织 MapBiomas 称，今年上半年，巴西亚马孙地区超过 80% 的保护区——包括 330 个原住民领地——未出现森林砍伐记录。

西帕拉联邦大学（位于圣塔伦）的工程学教授兼可再生能源实验室协调员拉扎罗 · 席尔瓦表示，加强此类传统社区（包括那些现已使用太阳能的社区）的建设，有助于保护森林免遭砍伐。

自 2022 年以来，席尔瓦和他的学生们已在亚马逊地区的 27 个偏远社区安装了 40 套太阳能系统。

他表示：" 这些社区展现出了高度的组织性，这使它们更具韧性，并帮助它们认识到自身在保护森林方面的主导作用。"

美联社的气候与环境报道获得了多家私人基金会的资金支持。美联社对所有内容负全责。有关美联社与慈善机构合作的标准、支持者名单及受资助的报道领域，请访问 AP.org 查阅。