Amazon Watch facts for kids
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Headquarters in Oakland
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| Founded | 1996 |
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| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Focus | Environmentalism Indigenous rights |
| Location | |
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Area served
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Amazon Basin |
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Key people
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Leila Salazar-Lopez, executive director |
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Revenue
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US$ 1,485,169 (2012) |
| Website | amazonwatch.org |
Amazon Watch is a group that works to protect the Amazon rainforest. It is a nonprofit organization, which means it does not aim to make money. Founded in 1996, its main office is in Oakland, California.
Amazon Watch helps protect the rainforest and supports the rights of native peoples who live in the Amazon Basin. They work with local groups in countries like Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. Their goal is to fight for human rights, make big companies act responsibly, and save the Amazon's amazing natural places.
Contents
Protecting the Amazon
Amazon Watch works on many projects to protect the Amazon. They help local communities stand up for their land and rights.
Fighting Oil Pollution
Amazon Watch supports communities in Ecuador who say that a company called Chevron (which took over Texaco) polluted their part of the Amazon. People claim that a lot of toxic wastewater was dumped into the rainforest. This pollution affected over 30,000 people and was one of the biggest oil-related messes ever.
In 2011, a court in Ecuador ordered Chevron to pay $9.5 billion to help clean up the damage. Amazon Watch helps these communities try to get Chevron to pay. They also work to make sure oil companies are held responsible for any harm they cause to the environment.
Amazon Watch also supports ideas like the Yasuni ITT initiative in Ecuador. This plan aims to keep oil in the ground under Yasuni National Park. This would protect a very special and sensitive natural area.
They also help native people in Peru, like the Achuar community. These groups are fighting against oil companies like Occidental and Talisman that want to explore for oil on their lands. Amazon Watch even helps run a school that teaches indigenous leaders how to defend their rights.
Stopping Big Dams
In Brazil, the government is building a huge dam called Belo Monte on the Xingu River. This river is a major part of the Amazon. The dam would change the river's flow a lot and flood a large area of rainforest. This could force up to 40,000 people to leave their homes.
Amazon Watch works with local people and other groups to show how much damage this dam would cause. They help share information about its effects on the environment and the people living there.
Fighting Deforestation
Amazon Watch reports that the Amazon rainforest is being cut down very quickly. This is called deforestation. If it continues, the Amazon could reach a point where it cannot recover. In the last 30 years, about 20% of the Amazon has been destroyed. Another 20% has been damaged.
This destruction is mostly caused by clearing land for agriculture (farming) and big industrial projects. These projects include oil and gas pipelines, dams, and roads.
Global Support
In 2014, Amazon Watch started a new group called Amazon Watch Sweden. This group helps raise money and spread awareness in Europe.
In 2016, Amazon Watch released a report. It said that oil imports by the United States are causing rainforest destruction in the Amazon. This also releases a lot of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change.
See also
In Spanish: Amazon Watch para niños
