Latin America and the Caribbean

Courtesy of Landscape News Written by: Augusta Dwyer A new study published in Nature Communications has quantified for the first time exactly how much deforestation decreases rainfall in the Amazon rainforest – and has put a price on it.  According to the analysis carried out by scientists at the Centre...

Written by: Maxwell Radwin An Indigenous community in Ecuador has finally obtained national protections for part of its territory after decades of fighting off deforestation and pollution in its mega-diverse rainforests. Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas now includes the 5,497-hectare (13,583-acre) ancestral Tiwi Nunka Forest,...

Written by: Kimberly White Two new cities have joined a global pledge for clean air. The Mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López, and the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Crivella, have signed the Clean Air Cities Declaration.  Air pollution impacts millions around the globe. Approximately seven...

Written by: Kimberly White The Amazonian Siekopai Nation are fighting to reclaim their ancestral lands in an ongoing legal battle with the Ecuadorian government.  Throughout the years, the Ecuadorian government has failed to recognize the Siekopai's rights to their ancestral home and deliver a land title,...

Courtesy of Landscape News Written by: Natasha Vizcarra An international panel of 200 scientists has called for a halt to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, saying the biome plays a critical role in global water cycles and regulating climate variability and therefore must be protected. “We are scientists who...

Written by: Achim Steiner and Tatiana Rosito Human life on Earth is currently at odds with the survival of the planet itself. Human activity – from conflict to commerce and construction to farming and fossil fuel use – is depleting the very natural resources upon...

Written by: Diego Vincenzi Costa Rica is known worldwide for its commitment to conservation and responsible use of natural resources. Among its history of effective conservation measures are its efforts in the 90s to halt and reverse deforestation. We have a robust protected areas system,...

Written by: Kimberly White  Mexico City has been recognized for its work to combat the climate crisis. WWF has announced that Mexico City is the Global Winner of its 2020 One Planet City Challenge (OPCC). Created in 2011, the OPCC aims to mobilize cities to take...

Written by: Stephanie Manuzak Rainforests are an important defense against climate change because they absorb carbon. But many are being destroyed on a massive scale. In the tropics, farmers often slash and burn forests to clear fertile land for crops. The practice involves cutting down vegetation...

Written by: Peter Yeung In the tropical forest surrounding Alter do Chão, a Brazilian town located on a languid stretch of the Amazon River and home to what is considered one of the most beautiful freshwater beaches in the world, monkeys, macaws, agoutis and armadillos...