Amazon Rainforest Turns Into a Net Carbon Emitter

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Key takeaways

A study in Nature confirmed that the Amazon rainforest is now a net carbon emitter, releasing 1.17 billion tonnes more CO₂ annually than it absorbs.
Forest fires alone released 1.47 billion tonnes of CO₂ every year, driving net emissions to a peak of 2.97 billion tonnes in 2024.
Human activities caused over 98% of recent forest fires, aggravated by a 17% drop in dry-season rainfall between 1979 and 2018.
The Amazon spans 5.5 million sq. km across eight countries and French Guiana, harboring 10% of known global biodiversity.

A recent study in the journal Nature revealed that the Amazon rainforest now releases more carbon than it absorbs.
Widespread deforestation, frequent forest fires, and escalating temperatures have severely damaged the rainforest's ability to act as a carbon sink.

The Amazon released an average of 1.17 billion tonnes more CO₂ each year than it absorbed, with forest fires alone contributing around 1.47 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The study period peaked in 2024, which recorded the highest net emissions at approximately 2.97 billion tonnes of CO₂.
Dry-season rainfall between August and October dropped by 17% from 1979 to 2018, while annual temperatures increased by 0.9°C.
Severe droughts triggered by El Niño and warmer weather worsened forest fires. Lightning caused only 1.6% of fires in 2023 and 1.0% in 2024, proving that human activity caused almost all fires.
The expansion of soybean farming, cattle ranching, and mining drives forest destruction alongside deliberate biomass burning.
This shift threatens global climate stability by speeding up the buildup of CO₂ in the atmosphere, making zero-deforestation policies and forest restoration urgent.

The rainforest covers around 5.5 million sq. km across eight South American nations and French Guiana, with Brazil holding the largest share.
It shelters roughly 10% of all known species on Earth and plays a critical role in global weather patterns and carbon storage.
The Amazon River delivers the largest water discharge of any river on Earth, while the surrounding region supports over 40 million people, including many Indigenous communities.