News
Saving the Amazon
A new model for forest conservation in Bolivia shows saving trees makes good financial sense.
26 November 2024
Main image: jaguar in Brazil, © Bruce D. Taubert
A new scientific study supported by WWF has revealed critical areas across the Amazon basin where jaguars and migratory freshwater species – such as river dolphins, turtles and fish – coexist in high densities.
These overlapping zones, which span 17% of the basin, show the importance of aligning land and freshwater conservation efforts in one of the world’s most important yet threatened regions.
The study, ‘Conservation Areas for Amazonian Flagship Terrestrial and Freshwater Species’, published in Conservation Science and Practice, challenges the traditional divide between land and water conservation.
It calls for coordinated action across borders and ecosystems – particularly in areas facing mounting pressure from deforestation and infrastructure development.
The Amazon’s flagship species – from jaguar to river dolphins – depend on vast, connected landscapes and waterways.
Maintaining both land and water connectivity across the Amazon is essential to ensure the survival of freshwater and terrestrial species and the ecosystems they interact with.
Yet conservation efforts have long been siloed with land and freshwater strategies developed in isolation.
This study offers new insights into where integrated, transboundary conservation could be most effective – and most urgently needed.
The researchers urge policymakers, funders and conservation organisations to prioritise these high-index areas in planning and resource allocation before further fragmentation helps push the Amazon past irreversible tipping points.
‘Jaguars, river dolphins and migratory fish all require vast, connected territories that span across borders.
‘This study shows that protecting these shared spaces can deliver powerful conservation returns – if we act collectively and strategically.’
VALERIA BORON
Senior programme adviser for Latin America and jaguar lead at WWF-UK
17% of the Amazon basin – more than 1.24 million km² – supports both high jaguar densities and high richness of long-distance migratory freshwater species. These zones represent the greatest potential for co-benefits between terrestrial and aquatic conservation.
Brazil holds 48% of these areas, concentrated in the Tapajós, Madeira, Amazon mainstem, Rio Negro and Rio Japurá basins.
Peru accounts for 35%, with key areas in the Ucayali and Madre de Dios basins.
Together, Brazil and Peru host 83% of all high-index zones—underlining their pivotal role in safeguarding Amazonian biodiversity.
The remaining high-index areas are found in Bolivia’s Madre de Dios basin (7%), Ecuador’s Napo basin (6%) and Colombia’s Japurá/Caquetá basin (4%).
When measured by percentage of national Amazon territory, Ecuador (59%) and Peru (44%) lead in coverage, followed by Colombia (15%), Brazil (12%) and Bolivia (11%).
One-third of these areas lie outside formal protected areas or Indigenous territories, leaving them highly vulnerable.
Increasing deforestation and proposed hydroelectric dams threaten the fragile ecosystems on which jaguar and freshwater species depend.
‘We found that many of these priority areas coincide with areas of highest density for Amazon river dolphins as well.
‘These overlaps give us a clear mandate for action – protecting these shared corridors benefits entire ecosystems.’
DAVE TICKNER
Chief adviser for freshwater at WWF-UK
The Amazon and its species are disappearing at an alarming rate. An estimated 15 billion trees are cut down every year – mainly for commercial agriculture – and rivers are being polluted and fragmented.
Fires, illegal gold mining and agriculture are degrading both forests and rivers – altering water quality, increasing sedimentation and threatening species survival.
The Amazon is facing an existential threat due to deforestation. Dubbed the ‘lungs of the planet’, this vital ecosystem is already close to reaching a tipping point after which it will be unable to regenerate.
It’s estimated that we will reach this tipping point if 20-25% of the rainforest is lost.
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