AMAZON RIVER

About Amazon:-• The Amazon is the greatest river in the world by so many measures;

the volume of water it carries to the sea (approximately 20% of all the freshwater discharge into the oceans), the area of land that drains into it, and its length and width. It is one of the longest rivers in the world.

Importance of Amazon river:-As the drainage system of the Amazon Basin, the AmazonRiver and its approximately 1,100 tributaries play major rolesin the ecology of the basin. Before roads and airstrips started appearing in the basinthese waterways were the major access routes to theinterior areas of Brazil and the northern half of SouthAmerica. For example, the only way you can get to Iquitos, Peru, whichis right on the Amazon River, is to board a plane or a boat.There are no roads to get there.

Origins and course of the river:-

The Amazon River has its source high in the Peruvian Andes,at an elevation of 5,598 m. There, at a mere 192 km from the PacificOcean where it once flowed into, the Amazon River begins as asmall tributary called the Carhuasanta. As it heads east, it flows into and becomes the Hornillos, whichmerges into the Apurimac, a major tributary that eventually joinsthe Ene, the Tambo and then the Ucayali.

After an initial drop in elevation, the Amazon River steadies itsdescent towards the Atlantic Ocean at a rate of 1.5 cm for everykilometre over a distance of over 6,400 km. In some places, the riverreaches a width of 10 km, as far as 1,600 km upriver, and large shipscan dock all the way up to Iquitos, Peru.

Wildlife and Marine life in Amazon:-The Amazon rainforest is the home of ove 300 species of mammals, thousands offreshwater fish, tens of thousands of treesand nearly a hundred thousand other plantspecies.Also there are so many species of insects thatexperts agree they will find them all!Some say it is 20,000. Others say it is nearer tomillions! New species of wildlife are still beingdiscovered today!

Problems regarding safety of wildlife and marine life:-

• Unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade• Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-

based activities- Oil Fertilizers Seas of garbage Sewage disposal Toxic chemicals

DeforestationReasons for Deforestation-• Loss of biodiversity• Habitat degradation• Modified global climate• Loss of water cycling• Social impacts

Other Problems of Amazon river:-As the pressures afflicting the region grow in intensity, itis becoming increasingly clear that the price to be paidis not only loss of biodiversity and habitat – but also of adecreasing life quality for people.Reasons-• The price of development at all costs• Trade, the fuel of deforestation• Trade requires infrastructure

Solutions:-• Rehabilitation and increased productivity of formerly

forested lands.• Expansion of protection areas.• Development based on concepts of sustainable use of

some existing forest.• Land policy reform.• Law Enforcement.

What we’re doing in the Amazon:-• Promoting sustainable energy.• Tackling illegal and unsustainable logging• Better planning for roads, dams and other

developments• Conserving Brazil’s Varzea wetlands• Reducing emissions from deforestation to tackle

climate change• Helping improve forest management• Expanding protected areas across the Amazon• Sky Rainforest Rescue

THANKYOU !