The Amazon’s vast green sea of forest and unparalleled wealth in land and water biodiversity conjure some of the most powerful images of what nature can offer. Spanning 6.7million square kilometres, the Amazon is distinguished by superlatives of the natural world and provides life-giving natural resources for more than 30million people who live across the region. But our generation could witness the extinction of the mighty Amazon. Agriculture poses the biggest threat to the forests. Rapidly expanding global markets for meat, soy and bio-fuels and the imminent realisation of large-scale transportation and energy infrastructure projects are contributing to accelerated rates of deforestation and amplified pressure on the natural resources. Increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall caused by global warming will exacerbate these trends and could lead to a “tipping point” where the tropical moist forest ecosystem collapses and is replaced over large areas by a mixture of savannah and semi-arid ecosystems. Urgent and immediate action is needed if we are to avoid this frightening scenario. WWF is determined to help protect large enough areas of the Amazon to preserve most of its biodiversity, maintain its ecological functions and services and support its sustainable development for the benefit of its people and the planet as a whole. We have committed £616,000 for this important and ambitious programme this year. The remaining sum of £452,000 are still needed, and every donation can make a difference!