Aerial view of the Amazon River in Brazil

© Curioso.Photography/Shutterstoc

World Rivers Day

On World Rivers Day, we honour the queen of them all, the Amazon. Flowing more than 4,000 miles, mostly through the South American countries of Peru and Brazil, the Amazon empties enough fresh water into the ocean every second to fill 83 Olympic swimming pools. It accounts for 20% of all fresh water that flows into the world’s seas and oceans and is the heart of the world’s largest rainforest, home to a third of the world’s animal species. As the rainforest’s trees and plants absorb billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, it is also one of Earth’s best defences against climate change.