5 Reasons to Stop What You’re Doing and Save Rainforests
Each year, millions of acres of rainforest are destroyed from land clearing for unsustainable development, logging, mining and a multitude of other threats. Although rainforests only cover about 6% of the planet, the natural resources they provide are irreplaceable. Here are 5 key reasons to help save our rainforests:
1. Clean Air
Rainforests are natural air filters. They store and filter excess carbon and other pollutants from the atmosphere and release oxygen through photosynthesis. Without rainforests, our planet is unable to mitigate excess greenhouse gas emissions, which destabilizes the Earth’s climate.
Forest above Simbuk in Nepal. Photo by Felicia Spector/Rainforest Trust.
2. A Healthy Water Cycle
Rainforests filter and regulate the flow of water. Trees release water from their leaves during a process called evapotranspiration. This water, after entering the atmosphere, contributes to cloud formation and eventually makes its way to the rivers. Water from the rivers then moves into the oceans, regulating the circulation of ocean currents and influencing overall climate.
Rainforest Trust has protected thousands of acres in the Leusur Ecosystem, it the largest surviving rainforest block in Sumatra and a water source for 4 million people. Photo by Ruben Hoekstra.
3. Habitat for Countless Species
Rainforests are the most biodiverse habitats on Earth, housing nearly 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They host an expansive array of plants and animals, many of which are still unknown to science. Without our rainforests, we lose some of the most iconic species on Earth, as well as the potential for discovery of countless new ones.
The Jaguar is one of the most iconic rainforest species. Photo by Jeffery Zack.
4. Livelihoods for Billions of People
Rainforests provide homes and natural resources that support livelihoods for over 1.2 billion people around the world. They serve as the ancestral homeland to indigenous communities who rely on them for food, water, medicine and shelter. Many of these communities do not have legal rights to their land, so they could stand to lose both their land and access to resources.
Through our work with CEDIA, Rainforest Trust helps indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon get title to their land. Photo by CEDIA.
5. Hope for Future Generations
The preservation of our rainforests is the best, most cost-effective defense we have against the loss of biodiversity and the current climate crisis. When these tropical forests experience rapid deforestation, harmful greenhouse gases are released back into the atmosphere. In addition to impacting billions of people and countless threatened species, this contributes to an unpredictable global climate, leaving the future of the planet uncertain.
An indigenous child from Peru. Photo by CEDIA.
For over 30 years, Rainforest Trust has worked to protect tropical forests and the species, including ours, that depend on them. We work to safeguard these vital forests because we know they are the key to maintaining a healthier future for communities and the planet. You can help us work to stop deforestation to protect endangered habitat and species across the globe by supporting our Conservation Action Fund.
