What are the Amazon's 'flying rivers’ – and how does deforestation affect them?

The Amazon – the world’s largest tropical rainforest, covering an area roughly two-thirds the size of the US – is well-known for its immense carbon storage and biodiversity. But what about its “flying rivers” that scientists say are vital in tackling climate change and water insecurity?

Flying rivers are massive areas of water vapour, generated by the rainforest, which flow across the Amazon basin. This natural phenomenon spans eight countries of Latin America and largely stems from the transpiration of the Amazon and the evaporation of the Atlantic Ocean.

The resulting vapour condenses and falls as rain, which influences weather patterns and is vital for Latin America's water cycle, water availability, agriculture – and the millions of people who live there.

The 400 billion trees estimated to be in the Amazon release 20 billion tonnes of water into the air every day, according to WWF. For context, water from a single tree can fill 10 bathtubs daily – a major contribution to the region’s flying rivers.

Yet, between 1985 and 2021, the Amazon lost an area of rainforest and other native vegetation equivalent to three times the size of the UK, and the equivalent of five football pitches of trees is cut down every minute, says the WWF. Today, deforestation has brought the Amazon rainforest to a tipping point.

Land-use changes and the climate crisis are impacting flying rivers and the water supply for the region.

Latin America has experienced 74 droughts over the past two decades, according to the World Bank, with millions suffering from water insecurity. Currently, 150 million people in the region live in highly water-scarce areas, so tackling deforestation is imperative.

“It’s urgent to restore the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity and we have all the means to do so,” says Julio Andrés Rozo Grisales, Founder and Director of Amazonía Emprende, developing nature-based solutions in Colombia. Rozo is also an UpLink Top Innovator and part of the World Economic Forum’s 1t.org initiative

“By linking smallholders with international markets, such as the voluntary carbon market, biodiversity grades, or even international value chains for food, pharma, cosmetics, it would be possible to turn hundreds, thousands of hectares degraded by deforestation into sustainable landscapes,” he says.

Achieving this requires more collaborative efforts, such as the Tropical Forest Alliance, hosted by the World Economic Forum. This multi-stakeholder partnership platform uses the collective action of more than 180 partners to help the world transition to deforestation-free supply chains.

Agricultural commodity production is the biggest driver of deforestation and ecosystem conversion in the tropics – and also plays a significant role in the economic development of countries in Latin America. The TFA aims to transform the production of such commodities – cattle, palm oil and soy for example – into more sustainable models by addressing corporate practices, public policy and innovative finance. Its work focuses on critical tropical production regions such as Indonesia and regions in Latin America including the Amazon.

This is vital because the health of the Amazon rainforest has a knock-on effect on the entire planet. Up to 200 billion tonnes of carbon are stored in the Amazon’s forests and soils – essential in the global fight against climate change – and it is home to 10% of all species on Earth, according to the WWF.

Ensuring their protection means working with all stakeholders influenced by the Amazon, including the 47 million people – 2 million of which are Indigenous – living within the rainforest.

How effectively we collaborate today to protect this unique ecosystem directly impacts the future of Latin America’s flying rivers and water stability.