Deforestation in the Gran Chaco forest in South America could literally spell the end of the world for the local inhabitants who call this forest their home. Various scenarios regarding how the disappearance of the forest affects local people have been studied. The Gran Chaco is the second-largest forest in South America after the Amazon rainforest; it is home to 9 million people and thousands of species, and it is under severe threat from deforestation.

The Gran Chaco extends across Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil; unfortunately, this forest has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Since 1985, more than 140,000 square kilometres, or approximately one-fifth of the entire forest, have been cleared. Unlike the Amazon rainforest, which lies to the east of the Andes, the Gran Chaco covers a vast area that is semi-arid or arid. It is inhabited by approximately 35 different indigenous groups (tribes). They are hunter-gatherers, and their livelihoods are inextricably linked to the forest and its foreseeable future. (...)