Amazon rainforest how can we help

In order to protect their communities and safeguard this role for the future, it is essential to secure their land rights. Such a task would require coordination and modest investment but could lead to important social, environmental and economic benefits. Climate action in Brazil will be decided by the response to the current crises in the Amazon.

The region and its cities should be able to lead the transition to a low-carbon economy in Brazil. Actions Brazil takes in the Amazon rainforest region will help determine not just the future of local communities, but also whether the world will be able to avoid the worst impacts of the climate emergency. WRI relies on the generosity of donors like you to turn research into action.

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Crises in the Amazon Rainforest In the current climate emergency, the rainforest plays a central role in constraining the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon. Becoming a net emitter: Deforestation and degradation directly emit greenhouse gases, threatening to turn the Amazon region from a carbon sink into a net emitter of carbon dioxide.

A recent study conducted over the last decade shows that important parts of the forest have already become a source of CO2. Biodiversity loss: Ongoing fires and deforestation remove large parts of the natural habitats so vital to maintain biodiversity in tropical forests like the Amazon, according to a study published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science.

And deforestation, which has been increasing considerably in the last four years , also plays a part in biodiversity loss. Logging and illegal mining also pose a risk to the functions the forest environment can provide.

Transitioning from forest to savanna: New studies suggest ongoing deforestation could lead the Amazon rainforest to a tipping point , where it no longer sustains itself and large portions would instead transition to a Savanna-like ecosystem. While many of the fires have been set to clear land for agribusiness, setting fires is also part of the process of extracting timber. Large areas are often burned to access trees for felling or to create access to other areas of the forest.

Reducing the amount of paper and wood we use is a good way to help reduce commercial pressures on the Amazon, as well as other forests. Consider more carefully what you eat. Beef is especially destructive, as it requires huge amounts of land for grazing — space often created through the burning of forests.

An area the size of Ireland has also been cleared for growing soybean , which is then exported as cattle feed to support the beef industry around the world.

Many of us find it hard to go fully vegan, but even reducing cheese, beef and pork consumption, and throwing away less can all help to reduce the intense pressures food habits place on forests and other ecosystems. Think about how you vote. Strongman nationalism and right wing politics are usually bad for the planet and the environment , and the fires are no exception.

Avoid politicians who support deregulation, extraction and subsidy of fossil fuel resources, and who are more accountable to corporations than to those who have elected them. Wherever you are, vote for someone with enough ambition to stand up for protecting the planet rather than their job, or corporate interests.

Related: A 'Third Way' to save the Amazon: make trees more valuable. Write to or call your representative. Tell them that they must use their position to put pressure on your own and other governments to take action. We can all play a part in building a better world by making small changes to our daily lives.

Your donation will make a huge difference right now to:. Deforestation is one of the biggest threats to the climate, to wildlife and to our health — the more we destroy forests the more we risk dangerous climate change. The Amazon is dangerously close to a tipping point, where it will no longer be able to sustain itself.

If we push the Amazon beyond its tipping point, it will collapse — with devastating impacts for our climate and our ability to limit global warming to below 1. Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the forefront of protecting the Amazon.

But they are finding it increasingly tough to cope with the pressures of land grabbing, fires, deforestation, illegal mining, and most recently Covid But the more we know about our forests — and the causes of their destruction — the more we can help spread the word and put a spotlight on the issues.

Become a member and support our work in the Amazon. We work with civil society groups, business and local governments in the Amazon to increase commitments towards conservation and reversing climate change.

From tackling unsustainable practices, to supporting communities in their defence of their Amazon livelihoods, this work is more important now than ever. Fundraising Block.