A Balloon flying over Iguazu Falls ( Brazil )

" The Nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value "

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

President of the United States, created 51 wildlife refuges

• Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, as well as being the home to an estimated 50 million indigenous forest people.

However, millions of hectares of these forests are being destroyed every year.

As a result, rainforest people are being displaced, their rights abused and their cultures lost forever.

It is believed that thousands of species of wildlife could become extinct as a result of the destruction. Amongst the species that are disappearing are those that could potentially be of great benefit to humanity, such as in the discovery of new medicines.

The destruction of rainforests is also one of major contributors to global climate change, as many rainforests are burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rainforest clearance can also disrupt local weather patterns, as well as increasing soil erosion, floods and droughts.