As the number of trees decreases so does the natural process of absorbing carbon dioxide, nature's solution to the problems of climate change. Ending tropical deforestation is not nearly as simple as telling people to stop cutting down trees. Economically viable alternatives to deforestation are needed. These might include ecotourism, sustainable harvesting of products which can then be sold to provide an income for forest peoples and maintaining the land for research into new medicines. Many organisations, however, believe that to combat deforestation the inequalities between North and South need to be reduced or eliminated.
Most deforestation occurs to make money to pay off international debt and to pay for development.
Forests represent one of the few resources that developing countries can exploit in order to compete with and trade with developed countries. The harsh reality is that deforestation often occurs to feed the West's insatiable appetite for consumption.