We Must Preserve the Amazon’s Hidden Treasure

Part of the book  Most Wanted is set in the heart of Amazonia. Like many of us, it was my childhood dream to visit and I came away with a lasting impression of vastness and unimaginable scale. It is difficult to describe, unlike any other river on the planet. Yet my enthusiasm was tainted by mixed feelings about the destruction of the surrounding habitat, a true wonder of nature. We have all read about the continuing tragedy of deforestation in the Amazon basin and the loss of some of the world’s most valuable natural resources. The Amazon is an eco system with the widest variety of species on the planet, which many speculate contain undiscovered “biological” resources—perhaps the cure for cancer or an anti-aging element that will prolong human life. This is before we even consider the impact on global warming and the irreversible damage being done to the “lungs of the planet.”

And there is yet another even greater source of future wealth often overlooked… The Earth is covered 75% with water and 25% with land, which sometimes makes it difficult to believe the world is facing widespread water shortages. However, many pundits predict that water is now set to replace oil as the world’s most profitable commodity. 

The facts are that 97.5% of our water here on earth is saltwater, leaving only 2.5% as usable fresh water. Moreover, 79% of this fresh water is perpetually frozen in the form of polar ice caps and glaciers, making it inaccessible, even at high costs. Another 20% is groundwater accessible through aquifers, which are becoming increasingly depleted, which leaves only a precious 1% of freshwater in surface water contained in lakes, rivers and streams around the globe. You see, freshwater is becoming a scarce commodity and we are making a bad situation worse… we’ve constantly polluted the tiny fraction of surface water we have for years with the dumping of chemicals, fertilizers, sewage and other pollutants.

 The Amazon is the greatest river in the world by so many measures; the area of land that drains into it, and its length and width. It is one of the longest rivers in the world and, depending upon who you talk to, is anywhere between 6,259km / 3,903 miles and 6,712 km / 4,195 miles long. Meanwhile, there is one statistic which is indisputable; the volume of water it carries to the sea, which is approximately 20% of all the freshwater discharged into the oceans worldwide. The Amazon’s freshwater resources are an invaluable treasure for the future of mankind. We all have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to preserve this inheritance and prevent unscrupulous exploitation by commercial interests, now that many are looking to water as the next profit opportunity, when they switch the lights out on the oil industry later this century.

Despite all the cynicism that exists in the world, I have one cause for celebration … there is a glimmer of light. I believe it will not change over night and it all starts with awareness. I am proud to say that my daughter, who is educated in Brazil, like most of her classmates has become an enthusiastic and resolute supporter of preserving the environment. Perhaps the errors of our generation will not be repeated by the next…

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