The Peril of the World’s Largest Rainforests

Rainforests cover less than three percent of Earth’s surface, yet they cradle over half of all known plant and animal species.
From the vast Amazon to the dense Congo Basin, from the misty mountains of New Guinea to the humid lowlands of Southeast Asia, these living cathedrals sustain the heartbeat of our planet.
They regulate our climate, produce the oxygen we breathe, and hold an ancient wisdom that no laboratory can replicate.
But today, these irreplaceable ecosystems are vanishing at an unprecedented rate.

The largest rainforest on Earth is the Amazon, stretching across more than six million square kilometers—an area larger than half of the United States.
It is home to jaguars prowling through the undergrowth, harpy eagles soaring above the canopy, and Brazil nut trees that have stood for centuries.
Yet Brazil alone has lost over two hundred and sixty thousand square kilometers of primary forest since 2001, as fires, logging, and expanding agriculture continue to erode the green lungs of South America.

Across the ocean lies the Congo Basin, covering two million square kilometers and spanning six nations in Central Africa.
Here, gorillas, forest elephants, bonobos, and okapis share a landscape that breathes life into the continent.
But small-scale farming, mining, and illegal logging are steadily carving away at its heart, threatening both wildlife and the millions of people who depend on the forest for food, medicine, and shelter.

• 2 million km² across 6 nations

• Home to: Gorillas, forest elephants, bonobos, okapis

• Threat: Small-scale farming and logging are rapidly clearing the forest

New Guinea Rainforest – Oceania

Farther east lies the rainforest of New Guinea, a vast island in Oceania that shelters one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet.

Within its seven hundred and eighty-six thousand square kilometers live tree kangaroos, crowned pigeons, and countless species still unknown to science.
It is estimated that at least five percent of Earth’s species exist here, hidden within its dense canopy and remote mountain valleys.

 Sundaland Rainforest – Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia, the Sundaland rainforest stretches across Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and Singapore—more than half a million square kilometers of lush, tropical wilderness.
This is the land of orangutans swinging from ancient trees, the rainbow toad’s vivid colors, and the enormous Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.
But even this wonderland is disappearing fast. Indonesia alone has lost nearly ninety-seven thousand square kilometers of old-growth forest since 2001, as palm oil plantations and logging reshape the landscape.

Rainforests are more than collections of trees; they are intricate systems that hold the balance of our planet.
They stabilize rainfall, prevent erosion, and store immense amounts of carbon, slowing the pace of climate change.
They protect endangered species, preserve Indigenous cultures, and remind us of nature’s power to sustain life.

The destruction of the world’s rainforests is not merely a local tragedy—it is a global emergency.
Every hectare lost weakens Earth’s ability to breathe. Every fallen tree releases carbon that had been locked away for centuries.
We must act with urgency: to curb deforestation, to reform agriculture, to end illegal logging, and to protect the people and wildlife who call these forests home.

The fate of the rainforests is bound to our own.
If these lungs of the Earth collapse, so too will the systems that make life possible.
Protect the rainforests. Protect the future. Protect life itself.

By Vanchatle