THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN Rainforests have been called the “lungs of the earth”.

Satellite images show that the rain forest may be shrinking at twice the estimated rate per year. Instead of 5,800 sq. mi. destruction per year, it may be 11,000 sq. mi. per year.

Deforestation has been a serious problem in the Amazon region since the 1960s. Cattle ranchers, loggers, and farmers have expanded into the rain forest.

HEATED SHALLOW WATER AND DROUGHT IN THE AMAZON REGION HAS HEATED SHALLOW WATER AND COOKED THE FISH

The Amazon region is facing its worst drought in more than 60 years. People in 900 villages are stranded because the rivers that connected them to the outside world have dried up.

According to researchers, the rain forest could reach a “point of no return” in as little as 10 years if the deforestation continues as its present rate.

WHY SHOULD WE TRY TO SAVE THE RAIN FORESTS OF THE WORLD?