The tropical forests of the Amazon are considered the lungs of the planet, but people continue to destroy them. Experts estimate that now more than a third of the jungle in the region is degraded because of human activity.

Using satellite images, researchers were able to determine that 38% of the remaining Amazonian tropics are now threatened with extinction. Scientists explained that forest degradation affects human health.

Amazonian forests are also capable of trapping carbon dioxide (CO2), thus reducing global warming. It is trees that can stop climate change by removing harmful emissions from the air and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

According to the researchers, four main factors lead to forest degradation - wildfires, illegal logging, extreme drought and the so-called border effects associated with the dangerous proximity of human settlements.

Scientists warn that the Amazon rainforest is now very close to extinction, which could happen as early as 2030. There may soon come a tipping point where the forest will change forever and no longer benefit humanity.