The Amazon rainforest holds roughly 20 percent of the world's freshwater reserves and has incredible biodiversity, including 16,000 acknowledged tree species. But it is being destroyed due to various man-made and natural reasons. (Image: AP)
The Amazon Summit begins on August 8 in Belem, Brazil, where politicians and others will discuss how to address the enormous challenges of conserving a crucial resource in mitigating the worst effects of climate change. (Image: AP)
Deforestation is the foremost reason for the forest’s deterioration. According to the Andean Amazon Pact observation, the Amazon biome has lost more than 85 million hectares (211 million acres), or around 13 percent of its original extent. Most of that devastation has occurred in the last half-century, with Brazil accounting for two-thirds of the rainforest. (Image: AP)
Other environmental risks include big hydroelectric dams, particularly in Brazil; illegal logging; mining; and oil drilling, which can pollute water and disrupt Indigenous livelihoods. Due to lack of infrastructural investment, much of the sewage from dwellings in the jungle is discharged directly into waterways. (Image: AP)
For a forest economy to flourish, governments must provide health care, education and land rights protection. There should also be more emphasis on developing local expertise in communicating Amazon's challenges and opportunities, both to help outsiders understand and to attract investors. (Image: AP)
