Why is the Amazon rainforest so important?

August 4, 2025
, 5:00 pm
, Blog for people, WOW, really?, WOW, really?

Maybe you can live without coffee. Maybe you can even live without a car. And you can probably live without the latest smartphone model. But one thing is certain: you cannot live without the Amazon rainforest! But why is it so important? In our YouTube video, created in collaboration with Riccardo Rizzetto, known on social media as From Roots to Leaves, we take you on a journey to discover one of the most extraordinary and fragile ecosystems on our planet: the Amazon rainforest. A key location for biodiversity, climate regulation and life on Earth.

The largest and most vibrant forest on the planet

The Amazon rainforest covers over 6.5 million square kilometres. It is so vast that it could contain the whole of Europe and still have space left over almost as large as Italy.

Crossed by the majestic Amazon River, this immense green expanse carries 20% of the planet’s fresh water and is home to over 500 indigenous peoples who live in symbiosis with nature, preserving ancient traditions.

But the Amazon is not just trees and rivers, it is a gigantic climate engine that keeps the Earth’s atmosphere in balance. Without it, our climate would change forever.

Green lung? Yes, but not as you think

We often hear that the Amazon is the “lung of the planet”. This is partly true, but the oxygen produced by plants is also used by organisms, bacteria and fungi, so the balance is almost zero.

The real value of the Amazon rainforest lies elsewhere: it is a gigantic green bank, storing between 550 and 730 billion tonnes of CO₂. That is equivalent to almost twenty years of global emissions. Without this forest, the effects of the climate crisis would be even more devastating.

A treasure trove of biodiversity

The Amazon is home to over 10% of all known species on Earth: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, plants and many species yet to be discovered. A single hectare of forest contains more species of trees than the whole of Europe. It is an unparalleled ecological heritage that we risk losing forever.

Increasingly serious threats

In 2024, the Amazon recorded over 30,000 fires, twice as many as in previous years. This is due to the climate crisis, extreme drought and, above all, human intervention. Unfortunately, 99% of fires are caused by human activity.

Over the last 50 years, we have already lost around 17% of this forest. If this figure reaches 20-25%, the Amazon could collapse and turn into a savannah, with irreversible effects on the global climate and biodiversity.

Why is the Amazon rainforest so important? Find out in our video

In our video, we explain why protecting the Amazon means protecting all of us. We will tell you about its history, its ecological role and the threats that endanger it, but also what we can do, in our own small way, to help protect it. Watch the full video on YouTube!