Forests where we work

Amazon

We’ve been working in the Amazon rainforests for more than 40 years. We’re helping Amazon countries create and manage protected areas, and we work with local communities, governments and businesses to promote development that minimises their impact on the environment.

Borneo

The island of Borneo has lost half its forests in the last few decades. These forests are home to many globally significant species, including orang-utans, pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinos and clouded leopards. We’re working with the island’s governments to safeguard a huge area called the Heart of Borneo.

New Guinea

New Guinea and its islands contain the world’s third largest remaining tropical forests, which are home to as much as 8% of the planet’s species. Its wetlands are the jewel of the region. We’re defending the island’s unique wildlife, cultures and natural resources from devastating deforestation caused by illegal logging, palm oil production and other unsustainable development.

Amur-Heilong

The forests of the Amur-Heilong region - which includes parts of north-east China and the Russian Far East - are the last haunt of the Amur tiger, one of the world’s largest cats, and the Amur leopard, the world’s rarest big cat. Much of the forest there remains unspoilt, and we want to help keep it that way.

Atlantic forest, South America

The Atlantic forest, on the east coast of Brazil and into Paraguay and Argentina, is one of the most vulnerable forests in the world - but it still supports an amazing variety of life. We’re addressing the huge threats it faces from urbanisation and expanding agriculture.

Colombia

Colombia, in the north of South America, is home to over 10% of the world’s plant and animal species, and contains more species of bird than any other country. But it’s losing nearly 2,000 sq km of natural forest every year. We’re combating the causes of deforestation and defending the rights of forest communities.

Cerrado, Brazil

The Cerrado’s diverse landscape is a mix of grasslands, wetlands and forest. It’s home to an amazing variety of unique plants and animals, including dozens of vulnerable and endangered species. But the Cerrado is disappearing faster than the Amazon. We’re urgently addressing the rampant threat of unsustainable soya production, grown to feed farm animals across the world.

East Africa

East Africa’s coastal forests are vitally important to both wildlife and local communities. We’re giving people support to manage their forests sustainably, protect their crops and earn a better living through alternative livelihoods - all helping to reduce pressure on forests.

Eastern Himalayas

The Eastern Himalayas, across India, Nepal and Bhutan, are home to an amazing variety of landscapes and species. We’re restoring forest links that provide a habitat and passageway for animals, including tigers. We’re also helping people and wildlife cope with climate change, and helping communities increase their income by using their natural resources sustainably.

Brazil’s Forest Code takes centre stage at World Social Forum

This week saw civil society groups from across the globe convene at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Since day one, a critical point of discussion has been the controversial changes to the host country’s long-standing Forest Code, which could see vast swathes of forest destroyed and enormous amounts of CO₂ released into the atmosphere.

Elephants in Sumatra pushed closer to extinction by habitat loss

The Sumatran elephant has been officially uplisted from 'endangered' to 'critically endangered' after losing nearly 70% of its habitat and half its population in one generation. We're calling for an immediate moratorium on the destruction of elephant habitat - usually caused by deforestation or agricultural conversion - to make sure there's a future for the species.

WWF Annual Review 2011 - a very memorable year

Don’t miss our attention-grabbing review of 2011 - a special and exciting year for WWF, being our 50th anniversary. It's online now...

WWF’s 10 New Year resolutions for a healthy planet

New Year resolutions to lose weight or stop smoking are so passé! Why not do something that will really make a difference by committing to help save the planet in 2012.

WWF Ambassador Jonathon Porritt celebrates sustainable palm oil

WWF Ambassador Jonathon Porritt has written a blog post on his website in support of the pioneering progress made by the Round table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and its associated certification for sustainable palm oil, CSPO - despite some tough challenges and critics. Here's an extract from his blog post: