♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, water catastrophe. an historic and dire shortage. millions of americans impacted. >> it's an economic disaster. >> lakes hitting historic lows. farmers feeling the heat. >> i want to remind everybody that we feed the world. without water, we can't do our job. >> the new federal actions to try and ease the crisis. will it help? plus, the territory. the shrinking amazon rain forest threatened by logging and development. the indigenous people fighting to protect the earth's lungs. taking on the so-called settlers who claim they have rights to the land. >> i think it's important that we think of them not as victims

of the effects of climate change, but our best hope at a liveable future. queen of christmas? ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ >> mariah carey wants more than you for christmas. the diva is aiming for exclusive rights to that title. why others are challenging her for the crown.

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♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. we begin with water and the crippling drought conditions around the globe threatening this vital resource. what's being done here at home to address the crisis? and is it too little too late? here is abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: water. it's the literal lifeblood of our world. it grows our food. it powers our cities. it waters our lawns. >> water touches everything. we literally wouldn't be alive without water. >> reporter: now the crucial resource that runs through our nation's veins is being threatened. >> it's unprecedented. the situation continues to impact our professional and personal lives as well as those of our friends, families, and loved ones. it's on everyone. >> reporter: a product of the worsening drought in the west. >> no one is exempt from this problem. whether cities, wildlife, or

farming, we all need more water. >> reporter: forcing officials into a critical situation. the federal government announcing this week that it will slash some states' water supply in the coming year after the states that the colorado river basin serve failed to come to an agreement of how to reduce their water usage. >> the colorado river basin, you have 40 million people who rely on the river for water. and most of these are throug lake powell and lake mead, which are facing historic low water levels. this really is indicating that we're at a critical turning point in the colorado river where we simply cannot continue business as usual. we must find a way to use less water. >> reporter: according to nasa, water levels at lake mead stand at their lowest since april 1937. that's when the reservoir was being filled for the first time. here's a satellite photo of the lake in 2000 when the water levels started their downward trend. and here's a photo of the lake this year. its northern arm almost

completely dried up. >> the truth of the matter is, our relationship with water has been really messed up. when it comes to the colorado basin specifically, it's always been overallocated. so that demand side, there's always been portions that have allotted for water that isn't even there. then you have climate change on the supply side, bringing that supply down. so it is a complex issue of multiple things going on, making it really hard for this region. >> reporter: the federal cuts will affect arizona, nevada, and mexico. while residents may not face a significant reduction of their water usage, the ones most impacted will be farmers who rely heavily on water from lake mead and lake powell. >> it's an economic disaster. we don't plant crops, we don't have jobs, and as we saw during the pandemic, you know, this

industry is essential for everyone. >> reporter: these farmers have already faced massive water supply cuts this year. >> want to remind everybody that we feed the world. and without water, we can't do our job. >> reporter: kevin herman owns the specialty crop company based out of california. >> we just don't have enough water, quite frankly. so we're having to abandon parts of ranches so we can take the water that we do have available and concentrate it on what we think is either the more profitable crop or, in some cases, the crop that takes less water. >> reporter: because of historic drought, they're changing strategies and rotating out water-greedy crops. >> in the case of almonds, they take about four acre feet of water per year. figs, which is why we're planting more and more figs and pulling out almonds, figs take half that, two acre feet per year. >> reporter: think about it. a single anger of almond trees requires over 1.3 million gallons of water a year.

in a survey by the american farm bureau federation, nearly 75% of farmers say this year's drought is hurting their harvest. and more than one-third say dry conditions are forcing them to kill their own crops before they're fully grown. >> agriculture uses a lot of water, which is necessary for feeding a lot of us. small farmers will be hit the hardest from this because they don't have that climate resilience, or they aren't resilient to these cuts. >> now law. >> reporter: the crisis worsens, congress taking action. this week president biden signing legislation that includes $4 billion in funding for drought response. additionally, the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed late last year provides more than $8 billion for projects like repairing aging water delivery systems and investing in water recycling. >> there really are resources on the table from the federal government to help create new tools.

there are grant programs that can go to state and local government and tribal entities to help them come up with new ideas and for them to be able to be compensated for reducing water use. it's just seeing a matter of what ideas people can bring, and if we can all do that in a consensus manner that creates a sustainable solution. >> reporter: the measures coming at a crucial time. major droughts not just hitting the west, but states across the country. in the western u.s., those lake mead water l levels in 85 years. last summer, we took a boat out to the middle of the lake. over the past two decades or so, the water level here at lake mead has decreased by about 130 feet. that's like a 13-story building. reveals islands that used to be completely submerged. in the past year, it's gotten worse and revealed something else. bodies. human remains. at least five of them found in the lake's low levels in the last three months. and across the u.s., the water

problems continue. pockets of massachusetts, connecticut, and almost the entire state of rhode island now facing extreme drought. new york city and new jersey facing severe drought. more than one-quarter of the state of texas has been hit by exceptional drought, the highest level possible. >> expect to see ac, with warme temperatures and more dryness, water expecting more droughts, more water scarcity. it's an issue that affects a large area of our country right now. >> reporter: if you thought this was a uniquely american problem, think again. many parts of westernnd nt eopeow struggling with water issues as well. among them, droughts in france and the uk. and water shortages declared in the netherlands. droughts in some parts of europe dropping water levels to historic lows. what you're seeing here isn't stonehenge, and this isn't england, but spain.

dolmen, a 5,000-year-old architectural marvel which has lived in the floodwaters of the valda canes reservoir for six decades. then came the drought, the worst spain has faced in generations. scientists for the first time in decades can access the ancient stones. a rare glimpse into an ancient world, one coming as a result of a crisis that doesn't seem to wane. the answers to these generational problems are not obvious. and experts say there's no magic policy that can solve our water crises. the world we live in, many in ways, is forever changed. those fighting for our water future say we may all be called im te to wre at a p sgl dpferts. terms with the fact that life in the u.s. without changes is just not going to be a viable option.

>> our thanks to matt. up next, the territory. inside the fight to save the amazon rain forest. there's a different way to treat hiv. it's every-other-month, injectable cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete hiv treatment you can get every other month. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider every other month. it's one less thing to think about while traveling. hiv pills aren't on my mind. a quick change in my plans is no big deal. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems stop cabenuva and get mental hethrnp right away. stfeeding,

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>> reporter: it's been called the earth's lungs. brazil's amazon rain forest home to some of the most lush and fertile treescapes on the planet. its dense green canopy enveloping thousands of unique species. its terrain the front line in a fierce and dangerous battle between those pushing to develop the land and the indigenous people who have called it home for generations. in the national geographic documentary "the territory," filmmakers embed in a 200-person community for over three years with their young leader, vitite, as they confront so-called invaders in their protected land.

>> why is the amazon so important to protecting the planet? >> reporter: battling alongside them, mentor and activist nadina bandiera, working for decades in the territory, fiercely dedicating to protecting it. >> reporter: the struggle against deforestation in the

amazon is decades in the making. the massive rain forest absorbs one-quarter of the world's 2.4 billion metric tons of carbon each year. but some parts of the amazon now produce more carbon than it's able to absorb. dramatic google earth images highlight the undeniable sprawl into its green areas from 1984 to 2016. on the bottom left is the uru territory. >> where you see chopped-down, razed land, that's private property run by farmers and ranchers. where you see intact forest is indigenous demarcated territory. >> reporter: so-called settlers firmly believe they have a right to use the land. director alex pritz says it was nadina who urged him to hear from those ranchers and farmers.

>> i do understand the situation they're in, thought it important to find where those motivations are coming from if we're going to find a real solution to this conflict. >> reporter: the ranchers believe it is their mission to cultivate the precious soil. >> the settlers and farmers feel like they are the heroes of this story. they are the virtuous pioneers ging out, colonizing new land, turning wilderness into private property. >> can you understand or empathize with the ranchers and the farmers? >> no. >> no. >> reporter: as farmers and ranchers expand into the territory, the indigenous people resist the spread onto their

land by burning down settlers' belongings. during the making of the film, the pandemic hit, and the crew distanced from the uru people to protect the vulnerable community from covid-19. >> the pandemic played a big role. i was cut off from the indigenous people. we had to come up with a new way to continue production and talk to their leader. he said really clearly, send us cameras, send us better audio equipment, and we will produce, manage, shoot the final chapter of our story. the uru are under, like indigenous communities across brazil, extreme pressure. at the same time, there is hope in the fact that young people like him have new tools with which they can fight moving forward. >> reporter: inspired by the power of the camera, bitite will

be the first of the uru people to attend university. bitite and nadina want the world to bear witness, their conviction unshakeable, their bon unbreakable. >> these people's lives don't stop when the film ends either. they're continuing this fight. i think it's important that when we see the story, we go wow, we think of them not as victims of the effects of climate change, but our best hope at a liveable future. >> our thanks to erielle.

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♪ finally tonight, mariah carey is all about the holiday season. but some singers say she hit a sour note dubbing herself the queen of christmas. here's abc's mona kosar abdi. ♪ ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ >> reporter: mariah carey does

not want a lot for christmas. there's just one thing she says she needs, a trademark for the title "queen of christmas." ♪ make my wish come true all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> reporter: the pop superstar has been an institution of the holiday season for decades. "all i want for christmas is you" reached number one on the billboard hot 100 in the last four years, even though it was released in 1994. ♪ underneath the christmas tree ♪ >> reporter: and millions look forward to her announcement that the christmas season has begun. >> it's time! whoo! >> reporter: now carey is seeking to solidify her brand as the songbird supreme of the yuletide season with a legal filing that would give her the exclusive rights to use the title on everything from clothes to alcohol, dog products, and more. but not everyone agrees she deserves it.

singer darlene love fighting back. ♪ christmas will you please come home. >> reporter: known for her hit "christmas, baby, please come home" which she performed annually on the david letterman show as a holiday tradition. "i adore mariah carey but to register the term queen of christmas as a trademark for her sole usage doesn't reflect on the holiday spirit of love and gratitude. queen of christmas should not be exclusive to anyone except for mary, mother of jesus. ♪ i want to deck the halls ♪ >> reporter: singer elizabeth chan also fighting back against carey's legal motion, filing a formal declaration of opposition. chan releases christmas tracks each year and released her own album titled "queen of christmas" in 2013. >> christmas is meant to be shared. christmas is for everyone. and it has nothing to do with how rich and famous you are. it's about how much spirit you have to bring people together.

>> well there you have it. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.