Importance and benefits Why is the rainforest important to us?

The tropical rainforest is far away from us – in distant continents where it is hot and humid. “What does the rainforest have to do with me?” you may be asking yourself. Why are rainforests important? Do we even need rainforests? The answer is yes, absolutely! The earth’s rainforests have multiple meanings for our lives.

The rainforests have a great influence on the regional climate in the tropics, but also on the global climate of the earth. The trees and plants in the rainforest bind large amounts of carbon by absorbing the gas CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the air. They use the carbon from this for their own growth. This process produces oxygen, which we humans also need to survive. This important process in plants is called photosynthesis. It is the basis of our life and one of the most important chemical processes on earth.

If forests are destroyed, large quantities of the bound carbon dioxide are released – this increases the greenhouse effect and contributes to global warming. As you can see, rainforest protection is climate protection – all people benefit if the tropical rainforests are preserved.