An Ecosystem at Risk
We are losing the world's tropical rainforest at an alarming rate, with major repercussions for the entire planet.
The Amazon basin has already lost at least fifteen percent of its forest cover and an equal area has been degraded. Deforestation is fueled by shortsighted industrial "development" projects such as large-scale agriculture, dams, roads and oil and gas pipelines. These mega-projects open up pristine rainforest areas to resource extraction, cattle ranching, poaching and pollution with devastating effects for indigenous communities and biodiversity.
Carbon emissions from deforestation contribute significantly to climate change, while climate change is making tropical rainforests more vulnerable to forest fires and droughts, leading to more deforestation. This positive feedback loop threatens the very survival of the Amazon rainforest and life on our fragile planet.
