Is the Amazon at a Tipping Point?

The Amazon, an ecosystem known for its vast biodiversity and carbon sink capabilities, is slowly transforming from a lush rainforest to a barren savannah. In recent decades, the Amazon has experienced mass deforestation and extractive mining practices, which have pushed the forest to its tipping point. These activities have only worsened with the election of Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro, as he continues to push new bills to reap the rainforest of its resources. As a result, the Amazon is on the brink of becoming a desert, which will speed up climate change, destroy the homes of many Indigenous communities, and cause an irreplaceable loss of biodiversity and wildlife.  

The Amazon rainforest is a large tropical rainforest in South America. It covers 6,000,000 square kilometers of land over nine countries, including 40% of Brazil's total area. The rainforest contains several million different species of animals and plants (10% of the world's known biodiversity), making it one of the world's richest biological reservoirs. Additionally, over 30 million people reside in the rainforest. Indigenous people make up nine percent of this population, representing a group of 2.7 million people at risk of losing their homes. The land, wildlife, and people are all vulnerable to deforestation and mining that threaten the rainforest, which could soon cause irreversible harm.

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's right-wing president, elected in 2019, is responsible for these detrimental actions. Bolsonaro is an avid supporter of agribusiness and has continually shown that he cares more about money than the long-term consequences of his behavior. A new bill backed by Bolsonaro has caused outrage in Brazil's capital from environmental and Indigenous supporters alike. The proposed legislation would pardon illegal land seizures, restrict the amount of territory for Indigenous reservations, and open current Indigenous land to mining. These measures will accelerate deforestation and infringe on the safety and health of multiple Indigenous groups. Ana Carolina Tessmann, a 31-year-old teacher from Brazil, called this the cruelest moment in Brazilian history, and argued that it was her obligation as a citizen to protest against it. Others like Ana participated in protests last March against the Brazilian government. This legislation is part of a continued pattern displayed by Bolsonaro, in which the Amazon lost 13,225 square kilometers of forest from August 2020 to July 2021 (a 15-year high) under his tenure. While it is unclear if these protests will successfully prevent Bolsonaro's policies, they have certainly put pressure on Bolsonaro and his anti-environment stance. 

A carbon sink absorbs the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and plays a vital part in monitoring Earth’s temperatures. The world's forests absorb 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year and are a significant aid in curbing global warming. For decades, the Amazon has been an important part of this process. Recent studies, however, indicated that these roles are now changing. Using small planes to collect hundreds of air samples above the forest, researchers have reported that the Amazon is currently acting as a source of carbon emissions, rather than as a carbon sink. The study indicated that 300 million tons of carbon dioxide are now released each year from the rainforest. 

Deforestation and forest fires are direct contributors to this role reversal; areas with high levels of deforestation have ten times the amount of carbon emissions compared to preserved sites. In addition, fires have consistently increased in the Amazon as global temperatures continue to rise, with the number of fires in 2020 exceeding previous years. Bolsonaro boldly claimed that these reports are a lie and that a wet rainforest such as the Amazon could not catch fire. He later contradicted his comments by arguing that Indigenous communities were to blame for the increase in fires. Bolsonaro failed to admit that many of these fires are man-made to clear the forest for profitable pastures. David Bowman, a professor of pyrogeography and fire science at the University of Tasmania, concluded that if deforestation irreversibly damaged the Amazon and boreal forests, the world would lose any control they already had on the climate. 

Indigenous groups play an essential role in protecting the Amazon. Their protected reservations make it harder for companies to cut down forests and mine in restricted areas, while their sustainable gathering and hunting practices help cultivate the land. According to the United Nations, almost half of the remaining intact forests in the Amazon are Indigenous territories. New government legislature, however, has made the fight for protection difficult. 

In March 2022, Indigenous leaders from the nine countries that contain part of the Amazon met in Ecuador to demand South American governments stop destructive mining and deforestation practices. Their communities have had to withstand oil spills, pollution, and deforestation. Furthermore, due to Bolsonaro's proposed bill, Indigenous communities in Brazil may have to abandon their land in favor of extractive mining operations. These events aren’t a shock to these communities, as they have tirelessly battled Bolsonaro since he took office. In 2021, Bolsonaro was accused of genocide after two Indigenous children died due to illegal mining in their territory. Additionally, 2,260 Indigenous families were forced out of their community after authorities bulldozed their homes in 2020. Many of them moved into cramped apartments with no food or money, having already lost their entire way of life. Despite these losses, their fight does show some promise as Ecuador's Constitutional Court suspended environmental permits for a mining project. However, these rulings won't be helpful in the long-term without real government action. Marlon Vargas, president of the Ecuadorian Indigenous organization CONFENIAE, stated that if there is no halt to extractive expansion, the entirety of the Amazon basin will become a desert. 

These concerns impact not only the land and the people, but also the vast biodiversity found in the Amazon. If the rainforest transitions into a savannah, many species will lose their homes and ability to survive. For example, primates, which need a habitat consisting of dense forest cover, could lose up to 50% of their home by the end of the century. In addition, scientists are investigating the flora and plant life in the Amazon for its medicinal properties. Natural compounds are present in about 70% of current cancer drugs, and researchers are eager to continue exploring the Amazon in hopes of a cure. Unfortunately, deforestation and mining practices will destroy many of these plants and any medicinal properties they may possess.

The Amazon rainforest is at a crucial tipping point: Bolsonaro's dangerous policies and support for mining and deforestation spell trouble for the future of the forest and its inhabitants. The Amazon may no longer serve as a reliable carbon sink, many Indigenous communities will lose their homes, and there may be an irreplaceable loss of biodiversity and the medicinal potential it holds. Bolsonaro must be held accountable for his actions, and there must be a greater global outcry to save the Amazon. Otherwise, the rainforest will become a savannah and the effects on human life will become immediate and irreversible.