Amazon Rainforest Faces Critical Threats Amid Massive Deforestation
The Amazon has lost an area the size of Germany and France combined, exacerbating drought and wildfires, and sparking debates on global responsibility for its protection.
- Deforestation has reduced the Amazon's plant cover by 12.5% from 1985 to 2023, equivalent to 88 million hectares.
- Record wildfires and severe droughts, intensified by climate change, are releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
- The Amazon's degradation threatens its role in stabilizing global temperatures and storing CO2, risking a tipping point by 2050.
- Funding for Amazon protection includes the Amazon Fund, with over $1.4 billion in international donations, but more financial commitments are urgently needed.
- Experts call for a transition to a sustainable economic model, leveraging private capital and global cooperation to preserve the Amazon's biodiversity and climate-regulating functions.