The majestic rivers of Amazonia

The Juruena River is one of Brazil's most stunning water courses, once running through pristine landscapes and gracing satellite images with its blue water. Now, agriculture has moved heavily into the area, the rains wash mud into its erstwhile clear waters and numerous small dams are being built along it. A sad demise. The photo shows the upper reaches of the river, on the Parecis plateau.

Photo courtesy of Margi Moss/O Eco Amazonia

Officials and Professors Discuss Preservation of Amazon

Arnóbio “Binho” Marques, who is currently the governor of Acre, praised the state’s shift in focus over the last 12 years to maintaining biodiversity instead of simply stripping the Amazon of its resources to develop the area.

Photo courtesy of News Agency of Acre/Flickr

Rainforest revival: has Brazil turned the tide on deforestation?

The sheer visible scale of both the destruction, and of what remains, is breathtaking. It’s one of Brazil’s greatest hopes, and greatest challenges.

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Everything's even bigger in Brazilian Amazon

In fact, the Brazilian Amazon alone is more than seven times the size of Texas. It accounts for about half of Brazil’s national territory, but is sparsely populated compared with areas to the south.

Photo courtesy of William Quatman/Flickr

Deforestation in Amazon rainforest up 21% in November

The study by the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon), a non-government organization, said the greatest deforestation was registered in the northern state of Para, which lost 51 square km of forests in November, 69 percent of the total newly deforested area.

[Photograph by: Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace]

Imazon detects 75 km ² of deforestation in the Amazon in November

The number of 75 km ² is 21% higher than in November 2008, when deforestation was 61 km ².

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

[Photograph by: Leonardo Freitas]

Amazon projects undercut Brazil's new green path

Perhaps the biggest worry for environmentalists is the planned pavement of the BR 319 motorway between Porto Velho and Manaus, which leads through one of the most pristine areas of the Amazon with a high biodiversity and many endemic species.

[Photograph by: Iberê Thenório/Globo Amazônia]

Imazon detects deforestation of 194 km ² in the Amazon in October

The state with the most devastation in October was Pará (45%), followed by Mato Grosso (22%) and Rondônia (13%). Together, the three represent 80% of total cleared forest. Then come Amazonas (9%), Roraima (6%), Amapá (3%) and Acre (2%).

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

[Map by: Volunteer Brazil]

Rainforest Rescue: Sky Project To Save Trees

The aim is for the Brazilian state of Acre to act as a role model for conservation in Brazil and the project will help local communities to look after their forests.

[Photograph by: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images]