The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Probably no other place is more critical for human survival than the Amazon. Nearly the size of the continental United States, the Amazon Basin harbors the largest remaining tropical forest on our planet, and:

• Harbors nearly one-third of the planet's biodiversity;
• Discharges one-fourth of Earth’s freshwater;
• Is home to indigenous and traditional cultures;
• Plays a key role in global carbon cycles and climate.

But the region faces several threats: over the last 40 years, one-fifth of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down and farms, ranches and roads reach further into it each day.

What we are doing

In the Amazon, the Conservancy is convening partners and using our science to create conservation solutions at scale. Our goal is to effectively conserve 140 million acres of the Amazon by 2015, employing three broad strategies: