What Environmental Issues Are There In Brazil?

Merciless deforestation in the Amazon Basin is destroying the habitat and endangering a wide variety of plant and animal species that are indigenous to the region. There is also a lucrative illegal trade of wild animals, air and water pollution in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and many of the other big cities. There is land degredation and water pollution because of careless mining activities, severe degredation of wetlands and oil spills.

Brazil's ability to protect its diverse environment and habitats has been greatly curtailed because of the explosive economic and demographic growth of the nation. Extensive logging, both official and unofficial, resluts in destruction of vast areas of forest each year, and with it a variety of plants and animals. Brazil is home to thousands of diverse species, many of them still undiscovered. It is estimated that by 2020 half of the species in Brazil will be extinct.