Beauty And Destruction: 12 Images Show The Real Face Of Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest, covering much of northwestern Brazil and extending into Colombia, Peru, and other South American countries, is the world¡¯s largest tropical rainforest, famed for its biodiversity. It is crisscrossed by thousands of rivers, including the mighty Amazon.

It preserves wildlife, supports millions of people and is home to varied variety of trees. We however have been cutting trees and destroying forest cover relentlessly. Years of destruction has resulted to vast swatches of this land being flattened down to nothing.

1. World¡¯s largest tropical rainforest

Brazil is home to 60% of the Amazon, which is the world¡¯s largest tropical rainforest and is seen as vital to the global fight against climate change.

Reuters

2. Huge Deforestation in Amazon

Deforestation in Brazil¡¯s area of the Amazon rainforest rose more than 88% in June compared with the same month a year ago, the second consecutive month of rising forest destruction. The image below shows the extent of this destruction.

NASA

3. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world¡¯s land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Reuters

4. According to the World Bank world lost 1.3 million square kilometres of forest between 1990 and 2016, an area larger than South Africa.

Reuters

5. Causes of deforestation

Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling combined account for more than half of all deforestation. Forests are cut as a result of the growing urban population, and the land is developed for homes.

Reuters

6. Conversion for cattle grazing

Cattle grazing is the biggest single direct driver of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Most of the beef is destined for urban markets, whereas leather and other cattle products are primarily for export markets.

AFP

7. Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen

According to a satellite monitoring agency, the world¡¯s most magnificent rainforest ¨C which is a vital provider of oxygen and carbon sequestration ¨C lost significant part in the last 31 days.

Reuters

8. Amazon rainforest absorbs billions of tons of carbon dioxide every year and helps slow down global warming.

Reuters

9. Natural animal sanctuary

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 2,000 species of animals. Some species found in the trees like the Gold Lion Tamarin, while others are found in the amazon rainforest river like the Anaconda.

Reuters

10. Trees being cut every minute

An area of Amazon rainforest roughly the size of a football pitch is now being cleared every minute.

Reuters

11. The Amazon rainforest plays a vital role in regulating the Earth¡¯s climate.

Reuters

12. Climate change

Deforestation isn¡¯t the only reason the Amazon is changing. Global climate change is having significant impacts on the Amazon rainforest. Higher temperatures in the tropical Atlantic reduce rainfall across large extents of the Amazon, causing drought and increasing the susceptibility of the rainforest to fire.

Reuters

Four to six thousand rainforest species go extinct each year due to deforestation and degradation in the Amazon.