Drought in Northeast Brazil

Dead cattle by the highway in the Semi-arid region, known as the sertao, of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Dead cattle by the highway in the Semi-arid region, known as the sertao, of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Dead cattle by the highway in the Semi-arid region, known as the sertao, of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo unloads cactus from a delivery truck on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo, far left, and his father Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo, center, unload cactus from a delivery truck on their small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus load in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo unloads cactus from a delivery truck on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo unloads cactus from a delivery truck on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo sits in his home on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo sits in his home on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo and his father Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo slice up cactus from a recent delivery on their small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo slices up cactus from a recent delivery on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo near some of his cattle on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

A view of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Rain clouds form over Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, offering hope of relief from what is called the worst drought in the past 30 years. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Residents of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, fill water buckets from neighborhood tanks. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Severina Ferreira da Costa, 81, in her home in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Severina Ferreira da Costa, 81, of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, Carries water buckets from a neighborhood tank. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Residents of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, fill water buckets from neighborhood tanks. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Residents of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, fill water buckets from neighborhood tanks. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Residents of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, fill water buckets from neighborhood tanks. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

Local farmer Elsio Cesar Sigueira walks in what was the water reservoir in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. All of the water of the town in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

The local, dry, reservoir in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. All of the water of the town in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

The local, dry, reservoir in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. All of the water of the town in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

A view of the countryside near Arcoverde in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

A view of the countryside near Arcoverde in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)