Researchers are launching an expedition to find out if the Nile or the Amazon is the longest river in the world, once and for all.

After James Contos published a research paper in 2014 on a newly found starting point for the Amazon River, a team of scientists will attempt to map its entire length in April 2024 and conclusively prove whether it is longer than the Nile River.

The team, led by Brazilian film producer and explorer Yuri Sanada, will travel using rafts, horseback and solar-panelled boats on a journey through the entire length of the river.

Brazillian film producer and explorer Yuri Sanada will lead the expedition in April 2024. Photo: Yuri Sanada

Sanada told CNN that while mapping the river is the expedition’s goal, he is also hoping to document and highlight the Amazon rainforest’s rich bio-diversity and its conservation needs.

Using satellite technology, the expedition plans to deliver their findings by the middle of 2025.

The Nile holds the title

According to most sources, including Wikipedia, a simple Google search and the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Nile is the world’s longest river.

Spanning 6650km, it flows through Egypt, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and South Sudan.

The Amazon officially spans 6400km, but Contos’s findings put that number into question.

Using topographic maps, satellite imagery, digital hydrographic datasets and GPS tracking, his team of researchers found a water source 75 to 92 kilometres further upstream than what has been traditionally believed to be the most distant source of the Amazon River.

Sanada’s expedition will travel a planned 7000km route through Peru, Colombia and Brazil, starting deep in the Peruvian Andes mountain range at the source identified by Contos.

A second expedition will travel from the Aprumac River in Peru, which is normally accepted as the starting source of the Amazon, allowing for comparison between the two routes.

With around 50 collaborators on the project around the world, the expedition has also secured partnerships and sponsorships for the trip, including an IMAX deal for Sanada’s film production.

Sanada said a major reason for the expedition is to highlight the ecological plight of the Amazon. Photo: Getty

Sanada said the project will host international scientific researchers from partner universities, who will join the expedition at different stages.

“It’s going to really change the life of people there.

“These projects will teach them how to treat the water, techniques on how to build better houses with natural materials, bring electric energy from renewable sources, waste treatment, electromobility transportation, and more,” he said.

A challenging journey

The researchers will initially journey on rafts, before transferring to solar and pedal-powered boats that have been built to complete the journey to the Atlantic Ocean.

The expedition team is working with authorities to secure armed escorts through known dangerous areas, according to Sanada, with many parts of the Amazon a haven for illegal mining and drug trafficking.

Aside from the potential threats from people, Sanada said they will also face risks in the wilderness and a potential risk of the boats collapsing.

Sanada plans to use the same techniques to measure the Nile, and conclusively confirm which of the two rivers are longer.

The filmmaker will also practice his craft along the journey, with an IMAX film planned for 2026.

“It’s all about a search for knowledge,” Sanada said.

“We’re going to be showing the world what the Amazon is all about.”