Rio de Janeiro

1500 CE – 2017 CE

BIRDS: 2 species are extinct, 7 are endangered and 55 are threatened
PLANTS: 40 plant species are endangered and 67 are threatened
MAMMALS: 11 species are endangered and 67 are threatened
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS: 14 amphibian species are threatened
INVASIVE SPECIES: 78 invasive and non-native species

The territory of the City of Rio de Janeiro falls within the ancestral homelands of the Tekoha and Puri peoples.

Territorial recognition: https://native-land.ca/

Most Pressing Issues

Pollution of the Guanabara Bay

The famously beautiful bay has become overwhelmed by pollution. Numerous efforts to clean up the bay have failed.

Loss of Mata Atlantica Rainforest

The coastal range of mountainous forests surrounding Rio de Janeiro are precious natural resources which are under severe threat from development.

Destruction of Swamps and Mangroves

the damming, draining, and polluting of wetlands has greatly degraded these fragile ecosystems throughout the city.

Monocultures

Rio de Janeiro was the sight of major monoculture operations in products such as coffee and sugarcane, which left soil depleted throughout the region.

Species Loss

countless mammal and plant species that exist nowhere else are under threat from urban expansion

How You Can Help

SOS Mata Atlantica

SOS Mata Atlantica aims to defend the Atlantic forest areas, protect the communities that inhabit the region, and preserve their natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Akatu institute

the Akatu institute works to guide Brazil’s consumption habits towards a sustainable model.

Baleia Jubarte institute

the Baleia Jubarte institute works to preserve humpback whales and other cetaceans in Brazil.

Brazilian Institute for Nature Protection

the Brazilian Institute for Nature Protection works for the preservation, conservation, recovery and research of biodiversity in Brazilian ecosystems.

World Wildlife Fund

the World Wildlife Fund works on comprehensive eco-region conservation strategies in the Atlantic forests.