The Amazon rainforest is the largest remaining tropical forest on our planet. It is home to: 1/3 of the world’s species; 1/4 of the world’s freshwater; 1/5 of the world’s forests; 48 billion tons of carbon dioxide in its trees; 200 indigenous and traditional communities.

The carbon stored in this colossal forest helps keep the climate liveable across the planet. The rainforest influences rainfall and weather around the world. Its mighty rivers account for one quarter of the available freshwater on Earth.

The Amazon Rainforest is about the same size as the continental United States. One-fifth of the world's fresh water runs through it, and it is home to more species of animals and plants than anywhere on Earth. The Amazon represents more than half of the remaining rainforests on the planet. This forest is so vast, but it is not indestructible.

Amazon biodiversity also plays a critical role as part of global systems, influencing the global carbon cycle and thus climate change, as well as hemispheric hydrological systems, serving as an important anchor for South American climate and rainfall.