BACKGROUND
The lifeblood of our planet progresses across the middle of the Earth: The tropical rainforest. This barometer for all that lives is dropping steadily.
The tropical jungles are almost completely destroyed in Asia and major parts are depleted in Africa. The last great rainforest that we still have as humankind lies in the Amazon Basin of South America. It is referred to as “The lungs of the Earth”. Daily overexploitation gnaws at this lifeblood as well.
The Amazon Basin is the largest and most important forest ecosystem in the world. It preserves and renews one-third of the earth’s fresh water reserves. This last reserve is becoming increasingly important, because even now two-thirds of humanity have inadequate supplies of or no clean drinking water at all. The influence of ecological balance in the tropical rainforest on our environment is undisputed. Intact tropical forests remain the most efficient storage depots for CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The devastating impact that deforestation has on the global climate can be felt everywhere now. Only an intact, functional forest will promote a healthy climate worldwide, ample amounts of clean drinking water and food and therefore a meaningful life and work for the next generations to come.
This we must and will preserve!
The Amazon – source of life
The most expansive river and forest region on Earth is located
in the Amazon Basin. This area represents the most important timbered ecosystem
for life on our planet.
The AMAZON means WATER – FOREST – CLIMATE – NUTRITION – LIFE
• The Amazon Basin extends over an area of approximately 7 million square kilometers. This amounts
to around 5 % of the Earth’s surface area. Tropical rainforest covers the lowlands.
• Over 1,000 tributaries go to make up the Amazon stream. From the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, this
stream is 6,788 kilometers long.
• Ten of the tributaries belong to the top 25 rivers of the world in terms of water volume.
• The Amazon Basin holds and replenishes a third of the Earth’s freshwater and produces a fifth of our
oxygen.
• The forest purifies the atmosphere of greenhouse gases and is the most efficient carbon dioxide
repository.
• The Amazon Basin is home to the largest diversity of species on Earth, but most of the species are
still unexplored: about a quarter of all living animal and plant species can be found here, including
more fish than in all other rivers of the world taken together.
• The Amazon Basin is the homeland of 400 indigenous tribes , around 1.5 million people.
• The indigenous peoples in the forest are the best rangers and constitute an indispensable task force
for the protection of our last rainforest.
AMAZON – the lifeblood of our planet
AMAZON – the lungs of the world
AMAZON – the pharmacy of humanity
AMAZON – the database of the future
AMAZONICA at