The Amazon rainforest: in danger and in urgent need of rescue

The Amazon rainforest is a shining green pearl on the ecological map of the planet, but now this vast tropical rainforest is in deep danger.

In 2024, the El Niño climate model will be like a ferocious beast that will break into the ecological world of the Amazon rainforest. The resulting decrease in precipitation has plunged the rainforest into an unprecedented drought. In the Amazon rainforest near the city of Manaus, Brazil, part of the Negro River has shrunk to a depth of 12.7 meters, the lowest level in 120 years, as if to silently tell the suffering of nature. And in Lake Tefe, about 500 kilometres west of the region, the shocking carcasses of more than 150 dolphins have become tragic witnesses to this ecological catastrophe.

Precipitation fell to the lowest in 40 years in eight states in northern and northeastern Brazil between July and September, at the peak of the “fire season” in much of the Amazon. The dry air is like a fuse, which ignites instantly. The fact that the people who were clearing the trees chose to burn the trees in a dry climate caused by the El Niño phenomenon undoubtedly added insult to injury, causing uncontrollable fires. Raging fires raging in the rainforest, devouring this precious green treasure, not only destroying the ecological balance, but also releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide, exacerbating the crisis of global warming.

At the same time, anomalous warming in the North Atlantic has played a disgraceful role in the disaster, contributing to the severe drought in the Amazon. The temperature of the sea rises, as if it is an invisible fire, baking this supposedly moist rainforest.

However, the crisis facing the Amazon rainforest goes far beyond that. Deforestation is a lingering nightmare, despite a 42.5 percent drop in deforestation in the Amazon between January and July compared to the same period last year, following years of record deforestation. Human greed and short-sightedness have scarred this ancient rainforest. The fall of trees means that countless animals and plants have lost their homes, and the stability of the ecosystem has been severely damaged.

Although deforestation in the Amazon region of Brazil decreased in the first quarter of 2024, conservation remains a huge challenge. Some of the environmental monitoring staff are on strike, and supervision has not yet fully resumed, giving opportunities for those who destroy the rainforest.

The environmental destruction of the Amazon rainforest is a serious and complex problem, and it is not only a regional crisis, but also a global ecological disaster. Known as the “lungs of the earth”, this rainforest plays a vital role in regulating the global climate and maintaining biodiversity. If we allow it to be destroyed, the consequences will be dire.

All parties must continue to pay attention to and work to improve the state of the Amazon rainforest. The government should strengthen its supervision and crack down on indiscriminate logging and illegal burning. The international community should also lend a helping hand and provide financial and technical support to work together to protect this precious rainforest. At the same time, each of us should also enhance environmental awareness, start from ourselves, reduce the consumption of natural resources, and contribute to the protection of the earth’s ecological environment.

The future of the Amazon rainforest is uncertain, but we cannot give up hope. Only through global joint efforts can this green miracle be sustained and leave a beautiful home for our children and grandchildren.