The Mbuti or Pygmies in Central Africa, Kuna of Panama, and Arowaks of Suriname are examples of indigenous people living sustainably in tropical rainforests. People who live near rainforests, as well as those who live within them, benefit from forest preservation. Rainforests act like sponges for rainfall. They absorb excess rain and slowly release it. When trees are cut, the area becomes more vulnerable to floods and droughts.
Rainforests also protect soil from eroding, and they influence the climate of an area.
Rainforests are the origin of many foods in our diet. Rainforests supply the world drugstore. Twenty-five percent of all drugs were derived from rainforest organisms. Curare, a muscle relaxant used in surgery, ipecac for dysentery, and quinine for malaria are all drugs from rainforests. Not only do many drugs come from rainforests, but rainforests also provide a future resource.