New research reveals the Amazon rainforest has reached the dangerous threshold of becoming a net carbon source rather than a sink. Satellite monitoring data published by New Scientist indicates that between 2013 and 2022, the amount of carbon released from deforestation and fires exceeded the amount absorbed by the rainforest. Severely degraded areas in the…

The Andean Community of South America has formally ruled that Peru has failed to effectively regulate illegal gold mining and mercury trade in the Amazon region. It demands Peru implement legal reforms and strengthen enforcement within 20 working days, or face regional trade sanctions. This ruling stems from longstanding complaints by indigenous communities regarding mercury…

Recent research reveals that soil carbon stocks in the southern Amazon have declined by 17% to 38% over nine years due to frequent fires and agricultural conversion, while nitrogen loss has caused a sharp drop in soil fertility. Slash-and-burn farming and soybean cultivation are primary drivers. Traditional oxidation ponds can no longer handle aquaculture wastewater…

Research published in Nature Communications – Earth & Environment indicates that deforestation in the Amazon region is directly linked to increased incidence of multiple diseases. Between 2001 and 2019, the Amazon rainforest reported nearly 30 million cases of fire-related zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Deforestation also fills the air with smoke, triggering public health emergencies such…

An environmental study published in Nature Communications reveals that deforestation has reduced rainfall by 15.8 millimeters per dry season across approximately 2.6 million square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest, accounting for nearly 75% of the total rainfall decline. This finding is based on analysis of satellite data spanning 1985 to 2020. Deforestation also contributed to…

Illegal gold mining in the Amazon basin continuously releases highly toxic mercury, making it the world’s largest source of mercury pollution. Recent research in Peru’s Madre de Dios River basin reveals that predatory fish contain mercury levels 2.3 times higher than safe limits, threatening the health of indigenous communities that rely on fishing and hunting…

Brazil is constructing a four-lane highway through a protected area in the state of Pará to prepare for the COP30 conference in November 2025, resulting in the deforestation of tens of thousands of hectares of rainforest. Environmental organizations have warned that the highway will fragment ecological corridors, exacerbating illegal logging and land encroachment. Despite the…

In July 2025, 3,684 fires started in the Amazon rainforest in a single day, the highest number in the history of satellite monitoring. High temperatures and drought have caused water temperatures in rivers and lakes to soar, with daytime water temperatures exceeding 37°C in areas such as Lake Tefe, and reaching 41°C in some areas,…

Deforestation-induced “wetter in the rainy season and drier in the dry season” exacerbates ecological vulnerability: localized precipitation surges during the rainy season due to changes in atmospheric circulation (monthly precipitation increases by 0.96 mm for every 1% reduction in forest cover), but reduced evapotranspiration during the dry season decreases precipitation across the region, creating a…

The State of the World’s Forests report states that 26 percent of the forests in the southeastern Amazon have already been lost, releasing more carbon than it absorbs for the first time, equivalent to 1.3 times Japan’s annual emissions. If current rates of deforestation continue, in 2047 the Amazon will release carbon stocks equivalent to…