Yearly deforestationAccording to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the total deforestation of the Amazon rainforest from August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2021 alone amounted to 34,018 sq. These numbers are stark even if the total landmass area of the Amazon rainforest is considered 6.7 million sq. In all, by storing around 76 billion tonnes of carbon, the Amazon rainforest helps stabilise the world’s climate. Rapid deforestation in recent years has contributed to the ecosystem teetering on the brink of disaster by affecting the resilience of the Amazon rainforest. A paper in Nature pointed to the loss of resilience (ability to bounce back from droughts or extreme weather events) in more than three fourths of the Amazon rainforest since the early 2000s.

Source: The Hindu August 13, 2023 18:43 UTC