Deforestation
Top Categories
-
Unseen Threat: Life Amidst Mercury Contamination in the Colombian Amazon – A Visual Journey
Communities residing within rainforest regions are confronting a growing and often unrecognized emergency due to the presence of mercury, a toxic element released during gold mining activities. This hazardous substance is infiltrating their food supply and water sources, posing serious health risks to the local populations. The adverse effects of mercury contamination are becoming increasingly…
-
Local leaders report a rise in organized crime as masked individuals hold Amazon communities captive.
Indigenous leaders along the Brazilian-Peruvian border have expressed grave concerns that organized crime syndicates are effectively holding their communities “hostage.” These groups are reportedly causing extensive damage to the rainforest, constructing unauthorized roads, and engaging in drug trafficking. Earlier this month, a group of masked individuals armed with semi-automatic firearms invaded homes in Apiwtxa, an…
-
Sustainable forestry and thriving young trees: the ‘eco-friendly havens’ resisting deforestation in Central America
The deep rumble intensifies as a large harvester emerges from the foliage, towing a 15-meter mahogany trunk behind it. The tractor navigates the area before releasing its load, pushing the timber onto a growing stack at the clearing’s edge. With a grinding of gears and a puff of diesel exhaust, it pivots and retreats back…
-
“Unveiling the Amazon’s Struggle: The Dire Impact of Illicit Gold Mining”
The makeshift brothel located at the base of Vila Cururu, an unauthorized gold-mining settlement situated in one of Brazil’s most severely impacted Indigenous regions, was bustling with vice until recently. Drunken miners gathered around wooden tables, consuming beer and Scotch whisky while watching pole-dancing sex workers, often retreating to nearby shacks with them afterward. The…
-
Farmers in Bolivia Stand Firm Against Industrial Encroachment with Protests and Blockades
Vivian Palomequi, a leader of a peasant farmers’ union, journeyed over 560 miles (900 km) from her home in the Bolivian Amazon to the capital city of La Paz, a trek that took her more than a month. She arrived in late April to voice her opposition to legislation that she believes could accelerate deforestation…
-
Forgotten Company Towns of the Amazon: A Visual Journey Through Their Decline
For many years, international companies have set up operations in the Brazilian Amazon to engage in resource extraction. However, these enterprises often left behind their infrastructure and workforce when they ceased activities. The remnants of these settlements now serve as a testament to human endurance, as the environment gradually reabsorbs the area.
-
Farmers View Colombia’s Crucial Election as Pivotal for the Amazon’s Destiny
Pablo Peña, like many others who have moved to the region, was looking to escape violence and find a way to sustain himself through agriculture when he relocated to Guaviare in central Colombia. Over three decades later, he reflects on a life overshadowed by conflict and deforestation. Peña first came to Guaviare during his compulsory…
-
“Costa Rica Takes Steps to Shield Howler Monkeys from Electrocution by Safeguarding Their Habitat”
Peque, a young black howler monkey, is seen scratching her head while perched on a sturdy wooden branch inside a wired enclosure alongside seven other orphaned howler monkeys at a rescue facility in Nosara, located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coastline. Last year, Peque was among over 100 animals received by the International Animal Rescue Costa…
-
From Desolate Beaches to Lush Paradises: The Surfer Who Revolutionized Costa Rica’s Coastline in Search of Shade
Gerardo Bolaños, the executive director of Costas Verdes, a nonprofit organization based in Costa Rica, stands before a stark contrast in the landscape. He showcases a photograph depicting the barren, dry grass along the shoreline from 2011, alongside a vibrant image of the same area now filled with healthy, green trees. “This is what Playa…
-
Conservationists Express Concern Over Significant Reductions to Essential UK Fund for Global Biodiversity Preservation
The Guardian has revealed that one of the UK’s oldest programs dedicated to global nature conservation, the Darwin Initiative, is facing significant reductions in funding. This decision will result in at least 89 countries losing access to financial support for biodiversity projects, a move that conservationists warn could jeopardize various species and their habitats, ultimately…
-
Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Sees Historic Low in Deforestation Rates Over Four Decades
According to a recent report, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, the nation’s most endangered ecosystem, recorded the lowest level of deforestation in 2025 since monitoring began four decades ago. This forest is the most densely populated biome in Brazil, housing 80% of the country’s residents along with major urban centers like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.…
-
“‘Amazon of America’: Documentary Explores a Post-Coup Brazil Embracing Deforestation”
In the year 2025, Brazil’s democracy has been dismantled by far-right coup conspirators who have executed the president, dissolved the national congress, and relinquished the Amazon rainforest, along with its vast resources, to the United States. A North American soldier, speaking with a thick accent, welcomes a group of journalists on a propaganda tour of…
-
Can Mexico’s Pristine Forests Survive the Threat of Cartel-Driven Violence and Exploitation?
Years ago, children in the village of Rochéachi, nestled within the Sierra Tarahumara mountains of northwestern Mexico’s Chihuahua state, would frolic through the woods at night. During the rainy season, they would gather fireflies, watching their glowing lights dance among the pine trees. “Life was peaceful. We would walk, play, and spend time together,” recalls…