The recent changes, that have occurred in the last 30 to 40 years, which have threatened the Amazon Indians, come under four main topics, population pressure, government policy, deforestation and the dams.

Population pressure

Population pressure is the beginning of the changes that have threatened the Amazon Indians. People migrate to towns and cities particularly near the coast, which limits land area and the population grows rapidly. Migration into the city exceeds the growth of jobs so there are not enough jobs, services and housing for the population. People therefore end up living in squatter settlements and slums which grow with the population and poverty increases. Most of these people are illiterate, homeless and jobless. If survival means cutting down a few trees to create a small area to plant crops and scratch a living from the soil, they will do it. These people living in the squatter settlements and...