South America - The Amazon

The brief summary below is of my own research on key environmental challenges in South America. This section naturally focuses on deforestation in the Amazon.

The World’s Rainforest

Tropical rainforest span the world like a big belt. They are found in the following countries:

• In Asia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia, Indonesia, Borneo, Sumatra and in Papua New Guinea.

• In the Amazon basin, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Republic of Suriname and Columbia.

• In Central America Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, and Southern Mexico.

• In Africa Madagascar, Congo river basin including Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon,

• in north east Australia.

• Temperate rainforests are found along the Pacific coast of North America , New Zealand, Tasmania Chili, Iceland, Scotland and Norway.

It is rainforest because of the continuous cycle of water as rainfall which evaporates into clouds in the atmosphere, and then falls as rain a few hours later. Approximately 50 to 80% of rainfall in the Amazon is self generated by this cycle as reported here. Without any trees this cycle is broken and cannot happen. If rainfall reduces because of tree loss, then this affects the rainforest but also other areas outside of the rainforest where crops depend on rainfall.

Where forests are removed, rainfall in a region can reduce significantly, and the land can revert o Savannah. If you allow the forest to regenerate, then perhaps you get the forest and the rain back eventually.

Rainforest Facts

The summary below of why rainforests are so useful for the planet is found in more detail here.

Forests do wonderful things. They bind soil to the ground, regulate water supplies, and help govern the climate both locally and globally.

Forests are vital for the planet, the Amazon alone is half of the remaining rainforest left, and the WWF notes that the Amazon has one in ten known species on Earth, has 4100 miles of rivers, and covers 40% of South America.

• Two thirds of the Amazon rainforest are within Brazil, so this one country has a huge influence on the future of this forest;

• The next largest rainforest is in the Congo Basin and New Guinea, and then the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Peru and Columbia;

• Global rainforests have more than half of the planet’s species, with each hectare having more than 500 species of trees alone. Most species in the rainforest exist in the tree canopy.

• The rainforest has provided us with bananas, coffee, medicines, cancer treatments and potentially who knows what else?

• Rainforests are huge stores of carbon dioxide and if they are destroyed by fire they can become huge emitters of carbon dioxide. Burning rainforest increases the greenhouse effect which is the opposite to what is needed at the moment. Rainforests can help to store the carbon that we need to get out of the atmosphere if they are saved.

World Deforestation

I don’t know how much rainforest is left in each of the countries where they are found. The Daily Mail says that rainforest used to cover 14% of the earth, but they now only cover 8%.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) say that in the last 50 years the Amazon has lost 17% of its forest to mostly cattle ranching. The Guardian on 30th March 2020 (reported in World News) says that in 2019 deforestation of the Amazon rose by 30%. If we let deforestation in the Amazon reach 20 to 25% then there is a high probability that the whole forest will die back and the land turn into dry Savannah. The WWF estimates that this could be as soon as 2030, with 27% deforestation by then. See here for more information on this tipping point.

The amount of red on the deforested areas map is alarming to say the least. WWF describes that deforestation is initially for cattle and then land is taken over by soya producers, pushing cattle ranchers further into the forest to burn fresh forest for their cattle. Roads then let this continue further into the forest. Is cheap beef and soya that necessary to us?

WWF notes that globally deforestation is worst in the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest and Gran Chaco, Borneo, Choco-Darien, the Congo Basin, East Africa, Eastern Australia, Greater Mekong, New Guinea, and Sumatra. The Daily Mail article notes that in 2018 12 million hectares of rainforest was cleared at a rate of 30 football pitches every minute. At this rate it will only take us 100 years to clear all remaining rainforest. This is entirely possible, as we have actively done this with so many other ecosystems already. Why would human behaviour stop and save the rainforest? Brazil's government currently wishes to exploit the rainforest as much as it can for timber, mining, soya and beef. We only need to consider whales, elephants, rhinos and countless other ecosystems to realise that unhindered exploitation is entirely possible.

Amazon Facts:

Rainforest products are often exported. Amazon beef and soya is exported to benefit Brazil’s economy. We as consumers are partly responsible for rainforests being cut down and replaced by agriculture by consuming beef or soya from the Amazon. Your shampoo may be cheap because it contains palm oil from Indonesia, and your mobile phone and car battery is likely to be made with rare cobalt mined in the Deomocratic Republic of Congo. Much more information can be found on the ethical consumer website here.

The reasons for deforestation vary between countries and continents. It can be from timber products in North America, to Soya in South America, Palm Oil in Indonesia, and agriculture in Africa. Deforestation is a result of the interplay between land ownership, national politics, local politics, world demand for products, poverty, large profits and money, and so much more. For a greater understanding of deforestation in the Amazon please see World News article in the Guardian from 5th May 2020.

It is apparent that the national policies of a very small number of countries are able to have a significant influence on the global climate and emissions of CO2. The potential impact lies beyond those countries own borders.

If you wish to conserve the forest for future generations, allowing indigenous people to continue to live in rainforests is key. Deforestation results in them being displaced from their land, to nearby towns and cities. However, indigenous people can help to preserve rainforests for future generations. The pressures on indigenous people around the world is documented by Survival International.