Amazon forests are at risk of turning into desert

Brazilian researchers have warned that a warmer global climate could kill the world's largest tropical forest, turning the Amazon into a desert from now until the end of the century.

Meteorologist Jose Antonio Marengo insists that if the climate continues to grow, rainfall will decrease and temperatures will rise in this area.

(Photo: utexas.edu) The worst scenario predicts that the temperature will increase from 5 to 8 ^o C from now until 2100 and rainfall will decrease by 15 to 20%. This scenario suggests that people still do not seek to prevent global warming and deforestation will continue at the current pace.

Another more optimistic scenario is based on important activities to prevent the climate from getting warmer. Under this scenario, the average temperature increases from 3 to 5 ^o C and rainfall decreases from 5 to 15%.

Mr. Marengo's conclusions are within the framework of a study that started 2 years ago and will continue until 2010. With the support of the World Bank and the British Government, this study has the goal of attending guess climate change affects Brazil in the next 100 years.

With an area of ​​4.1 million km ² , the Amazon forest accounts for nearly 60% of Brazilian territory. With many untapped places, this tropical forest contains 20% of the world's water resources and nearly 30% of animals and plants.