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How can tropical rainforest clearing affect rainfall in the Amazon basin?

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Ecuador: rainforest — Tropical rainforest Rainforest vegetation grows along the northern coast of Ecuador.

Clearing the Amazon Rainforest significantly disrupts the regional water cycle, which relies heavily on a process known as "recycled rainfall".12

In the Amazon basin, approximately half of the total precipitation is generated through surface transpiration and evaporation from the forest itself. This moisture, combined with water vapor brought in by easterly trade winds, sustains the region's high rainfall levels. Because the forest acts as a critical source of atmospheric moisture, the removal of trees reduces the amount of water transpired back into the atmosphere.3142

If the Amazon were to disappear, the loss of this moisture-recycling mechanism would likely lead to widespread drought. Furthermore, because dense forest vegetation is capable of absorbing vast amounts of water, its destruction diminishes the landscape's ability to manage rainfall, often resulting in increased flooding and soil erosion. Consequently, continued deforestation is a major concern for the stability of the basin's climate and hydrological health.314