Rainforest in the Gurupá-Melgaço Extractive Reserve, Para state, Brazil, approximately ten kilometres southeast of the Amazon River. The Reserve covers more than 1,400 square kilometres. The Amazon rainforest is one of Earth’s great carbon banks; it acts as a giant sponge, absorbing billions of metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Its protection is a crucial component in the fight against climate change and global warming.