Nature and Biodiversity

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

A general view shows the water conditions in the Piraiba river before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations, in Belem, Para state, Brazil.

Flying rivers ... the Amazon's trees release 20 billion tonnes of water into the air every day. Image: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino

Michelle Meineke
Senior Writer, Forum Stories
  • Flying rivers in the Amazon rainforest are a vital part of the water cycle for Latin America’s 670 million people, as well as the region’s unique biodiversity.
  • A soaring rate of deforestation and climate change are increasingly affecting the health of flying rivers in the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
  • The Tropical Forest Alliance, hosted by the World Economic Forum, unites stakeholders to promote sustainable beef, soy and palm oil production while protecting forests and livelihoods.

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?

What are flying rivers?

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.

Rainfall cycle that creates flying rivers.
Flying rivers are integral to water stability and food production across Latin America. Image: Visual Capitalist

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.

Intensifying pressure

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.

Graph of Tropical primary forest loss, 2002-2023.
The loss of tropical primary forests directly impacts the health of vital ecosystems. Image: Global Forest Watch/WRI

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.

The need for collaboration

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.

Discover

What’s the World Economic Forum doing about deforestation?

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.

Monkey sat on a tree.
Flying rivers are essential to protecting the one-third of species on Earth that live in the Amazon. Image: Earth.Org

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.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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