The life or death of the planet?

SOS amazonia-Accion Verde works for the menaced primary Amazonian forests, and also for the recovery of areas destroyed by man’s hand or by natural disasters.



The Amazon is the biggest primary forest in the world. It is considered by the Scientifics as “The Earth’s lung” due to the fact that when it exchanges gazes with the atmosphere it frees the 50% of the oxygen which we need to live and it stores carbon thanks to its photosynthesis. All this is necessary for the balance of carbon dioxide of the atmosphere. The area of the Amazonian basin includes Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, The Guyanas and Surinam. Its biodiversity is amazing. It is estimated that per every 10 km2 of land  there are about 760 different type of forest, 125 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles and 60 species of amphibians, amongst others.

The rate of destruction of the Amazonian jungle progresses at a higher and higher speed. In the last 3 years, 70.000 km2 have been lost, which is the same as 6 football pitches per minute. The main causes are the deforestation, the illegal land restructuring to be used for the agriculture and cattle farming, the excessive exploitation of the forests, the mining industry, the building of infrastructures, the bad techniques of tree felling and the forest fires.

Besides, the building of the Transamazonian Route has destroyed the habitat of thousands of species and makes easier the man’s access which intensifies the deforestation by man’s hand.

In lots of areas of Amazonian jungle there are vegetable species and microorganisms which have not been discovered yet, neither classed by the Science and they are in danger of extinction. Lots of those species could be the key for a lot of sicknesses which are still without cure.

Indigenous people are the most direct victims of the destruction of this destruction. For an indigenous, the privation of his land is like the privation of his life, because the land is everything for him. Indigenous people find their home, food, materials for building their houses, the remains of their ancestors, etc.
The indigenous ancient knowledge disappear gradually as native communities suffer the cultureless (aculturacion) caused by the occidental civilization.
On the other hand, the Amazon forest is essential for the regulation of the global climate and its destruction accelerates the global warming.