“ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ” of the U . S ., that for every three trees that die in the Amazon rainforest due to drought , a fourth tree will also indirectly die . The world ’ s largest rainforest is losing its ability to adapt to global warming .
But the Amazon isn ’ t alone in this . Droughts in other parts of the world are parching the Earth . In eastern Africa , a severe drought has been going on for four consecutive years , ravaging wildlife populations as well as human communities . It has killed hundreds of elephants , zebras and wildebeests in Kenya in 2022 alone .
Tropical Cyclones
The term “ tropical storm ” is used generically , but it is one of several types of tropical cyclone — an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that rotates . Tropical depressions are the weakest of these , tropical storms are stronger with sustained winds of 39-74 mph and typhoons and hurricanes reach speeds of over 74 mph and are named according to where they occur in the world .
Cyclones are a severe threat to people and nature in many places we work , including Madagascar and Mozambique . Our projects in those countries seek to increase the resilience of both people and nature to respond to these threats .
Other natural disasters like earthquakes , tsunamis and volcanic eruptions leave a trail of destruction as well . Lava flows destroy whatever is in their path , killing wildlife , burning forests , and poisoning living beings with toxic gases . Coral reefs , mangroves , seagrass beds , coastal wetlands , sand dunes and peat swamps provide protection from tsunamis , even though the habitats themselves are often destroyed or dramatically altered by the events .
When natural disasters strike , people and species perish and protected areas suffer . Infrastructure damage means reserve personnel cannot do their jobs — like patrolling and wildlife monitoring . A sudden interruption to ecotourism that can last for months puts enormous financial pressure on surrounding communities and small organizations who rely on that income . Rainforest Trust is committed to answering the call when our partners are in crisis from disasters .
What can we do about natural disasters ?
There are no easy solutions for the rise in natural disasters . But the protection of nature that Rainforest Trust ’ s donors make possible can have major , positive impacts on natural disasters . In some cases , such as forest fires , these projects can actually prevent the disasters from happening . In other cases , the disasters cannot be prevented , but their impact on people and nature can be mitigated . Protecting standing forests is a highly effective , nature-based solution to slowing global warming .
Working together , we are protecting habitat , species and people , and ensuring carbon stays in the ground . We are grateful you are on this journey with us .
November 15 , 2013 , Tacloban / Philippines Typhoon Haiyan , known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines , was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded . ymphotos
7