The Amazon rainforest in South America, at seven million k ㎡, is the largest rainforest in the world. The forest is important for people all over the world, because it produces a lot of oxygen, and also helps to cool the weather. But large areas of the rainforest are being cut down for wood—55% of the forest could be gone by 2030! The World Wildlife Federation is helping to stop some areas of the rainforest from being cut down.
At 68,000 k ㎡, the Aral Sea was one of the largest lakes in the world before the 1960s. Then rivers were diverted (改道) and it has been getting smaller ever since. By 2007, it was only 10% of its original size and had been divided into three separate lakes. There are repeatedly dust storms and the villages sit on the edge of a huge desert with large ships stranded (搁浅) in its sand.
In China, about 3,600 k ㎡ of grassland near the Gobi turns into desert every year. There are often storms that blow dust all the way to Beijing. The storms are getting worse each year and have a strong influence on farmers. The goal of the Green Wall Project, started in 1978, is to increase forests in northern China from 5% to 15% in order to stop the desert from growing. The project faces many challenges. However, people must never give up on it.
