Brazil's semi-arid Caatinga scrub forest is experiencing its worst drought in 30 years, with more than 300 settlements in the northeast at the point of collapse (see go.nature.com/pngjfq). The federal government must urgently address the drought's disastrous effects on livelihoods and on the survival of this biosphere reserve.

Whether natural fluctuations in temperature and rainfall or climate change are to blame, the lack of water is killing livestock and destroying crops. Pressure on Caatinga land is increasing as local people hunt wild animals for food and trade, often burning vast areas of vegetation to flush out their prey. We have seen native plants being used indiscriminately to fuel furnaces for brick production so that families can buy food and water from other regions of Brazil.

The plight of this stricken area is being largely ignored by the media and by the government. Human survival should no longer need to depend on the destruction of local biodiversity.