WHY
AMAZON
In the past 20 years, humanity has destroyed an area of rainforest the size of France. Between 2001 and 2020, the Amazon lost over 54.2 million hectares of forest—nearly 9% of its total area. In Brazil, which holds around 60% of the Amazon, approximately 17% of the original forest had been deforested by 2022. (source)
THREATS to the AMAZON.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 17% of the Amazon has already been completely lost, and an additional 17% is severely degraded. These figures are alarming, as scientists warn that reaching 20 - 25% deforestation could represent a tipping point after which the rainforest might not be able to recover and could instead shift into a savannah-like ecosystem. (source)
If the Amazon rainforest were to turn into a savannah, the consequences would be catastrophic - for the climate, biodiversity, global weather systems, and humanity as a whole. Scientific research warns that we are rapidly approaching this tipping point due to deforestation and climate change. Below is an overview of what could happen, based on scientific sources:
Massive Carbon Emissions & Accelerated Climate Change
The Amazon stores an estimated 150-200 billion tons of carbon. If it were to turn into savannah, much of this carbon would be released into the atmosphere, dramatically accelerating global warming. (source)
Collapse of Rainfall Patterns & Impact on Agriculture
The Amazon creates much of its own rainfall through evapotranspiration (water released by trees into the atmosphere). If the rainforest disappears, rainfall in South America would drastically decline, leading to severe droughts and major disruptions in agriculture across Brazil, Argentina, and even the United States. (source)
More Fires & Desertification
Threat to Indigenous Communities
Mass Biodiversity Loss (Species Extinction)
The Amazon is home to around 10% of all known species, many of which cannot survive in the dry environment of a savannah. Species like the jaguar, the harpy eagle, and thousands of plants and insects would face extinction. (source)
And it wouldn't stop there, rising temperatures would affect ecosystems globally. Even the Arctic and Antarctic are already showing signs of disruption. (source)
A drier Amazon is far more likely to burn. With each fire, more carbon is released, accelerating climate change. Some areas could shift not into savannah, but into desert. We’ve already seen this happen, last year, a portion of the Amazon the size of Italy went up in flames. (source)
Many Indigenous tribes depend on the Amazon for food, medicine, water, and cultural identity. The destruction of the rainforest would displace them, threaten their livelihoods, and endanger their entire way of life. (source)
