AP: Governments are gathering to talk about the Amazon rainforest. Why is it so important to protect

[Judi Lynn]

BY FABIANO MAISONNAVE AND DAVID BILLER
Updated 6:57 AM CDT, August 6, 2023

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — The Amazon rainforest is a massive area, twice the size of India and sprawling across eight countries and one territory. It’s a crucial carbon sink for the climate, has about 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves and boasts astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be colonized and exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples.

Now, as those governments seek to clamp down on a Wild West atmosphere of resource extraction, human rights abuses and environmental crime, collaboration across borders is a must. That’s a major goal of the two-day Amazon Summit that opens Tuesday in Belem, where Brazil will host policymakers and others to discuss how to tackle the immense challenges of protecting a critical resource in stemming the worst of climate change.

Here’s a rundown of the Amazon’s importance, the threats it faces and possible solutions.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO THE AMAZON BIOME?
Deforestation ranks first. The Amazon biome has lost more than 85 million hectares (211 million acres), or about 13% of its original area, according to the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Pact.

Most of that destruction has come in the past half-century, with Brazil — home to two-thirds of the rainforest — the main culprit.

Cattle ranching and soybean crops have expanded dramatically thanks to new technology, highways, and global demand for grain and beef. Mostly controlled by settlers of European descent who migrated from other parts of the country, the ranching and farming have reshaped local culture in aspects ranging from people’s diet to their music.

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https://apnews.com/article/amazon-summit-belem-brazil-rainforest-climate-deforestation-da53fb81d371017f01a2aebf56110a32