The 21st of March 2016 marks the International Day of Forests. Every year one day is especially allocated to highlight and celebrate the importance of trees in our landscape in a changing climate and the theme for this year is Forests and Water.
In this first year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the International Day of Forests focuses on their role in supporting water systems… Investing in forests is an insurance policy for the planet
-Secretary General Bank Ki-moon
Multi-functional uses of trees and forests are well-known to researchers. Forests provide food and shelter for people and are also biodiversity hubs which are home to more than 80% of the Earth’s land-living animals, plants and insects. Tree’s trunks and leaves bind carbon and are therefore key for mitigating climate change and forests can clean and filter water more effectively and cheaply than man-made systems. Not only that trees’ root systems reduce erosion and runoff by stabilizing soils making landscapes more resilient to drought and flooding, but forested watersheds and wetlands also supply 75% of the worlds accessible freshwater.
Since 2014 Focali has been one of the six members in the cluster group “Water and Forests” hosted by the Swedish Water House, which aims to bring together Swedish expertise in forest-related water management. Last year they published a report and a policy brief on “Water, forests, people – building resilient landscapes.