Every year on 5 September, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) marks Amazon Day, and wants to use this moment to remind you of the magnificence of the Amazon rainforest.

The Amazon contains 10 per cent of our entire planet’s wildlife. But there are many other reasons why the rainforest is so important, including:

•     Roughly 100 billion tonnes of carbon are locked up in its plants and trees, making it vitally important in our global efforts to tackle climate change.
•     The Amazon is home to more than 30 million people living across a vast region, many of whom rely on the forest for their livelihoods.
•     The Amazon River flows for more than 6,600 km, and contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world.

The Amazon is burning

Amazon forest fires / WWF actie Amazone branden

Agenda – Amazone loopt het risico om ‘in te storten’ / Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system – publicatie / publication