Rainforests are very dense, warm and wet forests. The reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year. Rainforests have an annual rainfall between 80 and 400 inches (203 and 1016 cm) in the tropical and 50-140 (127 and 356 cm) in the temperate zones. This is very considerably high in comparison to London, for example, which has an annual rainfall of 23 inches (58 cm).
 
Rainforests represent a store of living and breathing renewable natural resources and are home to more biodiversity than any other ecosystem on Earth. This complex of biodiversity maintains our atmosphere and provides vital environmental services for our existence - they provide a habitat for plants and animals, regulate our climate and freshwater flows, help to prevent soil erosion, provide a home for indigenous people, as well as a wide range of economic, social and cultural benefits.
 
The rainforests are also a vital key against global warming, not only as they store massive amounts of carbon but also because deforestation is responsible for approximately 20% of global carbon emissions, more than the world’s entire transport sector and second only to the burning of fossil fuels. The more we destroy our forests the harder it will become to tackle climate change.
 
The remaining rainforests are being destroyed continuously with no one taking responsibility to control this vital resource. At the current rate of deforestation it is estimated that by 2050 there will be no rainforest left. It is almost an unimaginable thought that this could happen within our lifetime but it will happen if we don’t act now.