Scientists warn the Amazon is nearing a tipping point
Deforestation and drought could push the rainforest toward irreversible dieback, with global consequences.
Scientists issued renewed warnings this year that the Amazon rainforest is approaching a dangerous tipping point, beyond which large areas could irreversibly degrade from lush forest into drier, savannah-like landscapes, with profound consequences for the climate, biodiversity and the people of the region and the world.
The concern centres on a feedback loop. The Amazon generates much of its own rainfall, with moisture released by its trees recycled through the forest. But as deforestation clears trees and climate change brings more frequent and severe droughts, parts of the forest may become too dry to sustain themselves, triggering a self-reinforcing collapse.
Research suggested that significant portions of the Amazon could be approaching such a threshold, with some areas already shifting from absorbing carbon to releasing it. A large-scale dieback would release enormous quantities of stored carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming, while devastating the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.
The warnings underscored the urgency of halting deforestation and curbing climate change to keep the forest intact. They also highlighted the vital role of the region's Indigenous peoples, whose territories have proved among the most effective bulwarks against forest loss.
The fate of the Amazon carries global stakes, given its role in storing carbon and regulating the climate. Scientists stressed that the tipping point was not inevitable, and that strong action to protect and restore the forest could pull it back from the brink. But the warnings served as a stark reminder of how close one of the planet's most vital ecosystems may be to irreversible change.