Rich natural resources and sparse oversight have made the Amazon rainforest a breeding ground for nature crime, from illegal logging and gold mining to illicit drugs and wildlife trafficking.

The scope of the problem is bigger than many realize: One study found that 91% of forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon is linked to illegal activity. Border regions, such as the frontiers of Brazil, Colombia and Peru, have become crime hubs. 

We took a deep look at what’s driving illegal forest destruction across the Amazon — and how governments in the region can crack down.

Sweltering heat in Europe claimed an estimated 2,300 lives over the last two weeks. The continent will face even more severe heat waves as global temperatures rise. WRI research shows how future warming of up to 3 degrees C could impact life in places like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Istanbul.

South Africa’s cities are grappling with water extremes. Cape Town nearly ran out of water in 2018 after years of severe drought while others, like Durban, have seen worsening floods. Yet both cities are finding new ways to manage water risks — while bolstering economies and ecosystems in the process.

In Barabanki, India, mint is known as “green gold”: a lucrative cash crop that’s lifted many from poverty. As climate change and market shocks threaten to erode that status, India’s mint industry is demonstrating how to build resilience in a changing world.

In 2024, the Brazilian Amazon faced one of its worst fire seasons on record. Far from being “natural” disasters, fires in the region are often deliberately set to clear land for farming and other activities.