By Thanuja.M
Bengaluru, March 28, 2019.
Amazon depletion is almost reaching a tipping point says a lot of environmental experts. The region that forms almost 70 to 80 percent of the biodiversity of the earth is dying.
Due to many reasons the region is losing its biodiversity. It has reached a point where the ecosystem is going through irreversible changes. The changes will make the landscape degraded savannah with sparse shrubby plant cover and low biodiversity.
The main reasons can be attributed to the removal of the indigenous plants and replacing them with plantations. One of the reasons is the construction of roads which led to more accessibility of the forest areas for the otter population.
A satellite image by terrabrasilis shows that from 2013 to 2018 almost more than half of the Amazon forest in Brazil has been destroyed. The destruction can be attributed to the mining activities that take place inside the forest.
The Amazon forest is considered the carbon sink of the world. It helps in maintaining the climate all over the world. It is the reason for the proper formation of clouds and for rains. If this forest is totally cleared, then there will be a global imbalance.
Yellapa Reddy, an environmentalist said, “The main reason for the depletion of these forest areas is the multi-corporation companies. They go to the forest to drill oil, as the forest is rich in oil and carbon content. This has also led to a decrease in the length of the Amazon River, which is the source of water for many people.
They push the tribal population out of the area. They occupy the area and start drilling for oil. The world only sees the economic benefits but very few think about the impact on nature.
“This can only be stopped if the younger generation starts to give out a call to stop all these activities. For example, a lot of companies that produce cosmetics use the oil that is drilled there. They should ban these products. Another way to bring this to an end will be to introduce green Gross Domestic Products. With these, the countries will become conscious of their environmental depletion and will hopefully work towards environmental sustainability.
