3 facts you probably don’t know about forests and water

Today, is International Forests Day. To help celebrate, and raise awareness of the link between forests and water, here are three facts you probably didn’t know about forests and water:

1. Forested watersheds and wetlands supply 75% of the worlds accessible freshwater.
2. About one third of the world’s largest cities obtain a significant proportion of their drinking water directly from forested protected areas.
3. Of the original area of global forest cover of the world, 15% remains intact, 38 is fragmented, 20% is degraded and 28 is deforested. About two billion hectares of degraded forest land can be restored to wooded landscapes, and thereby contribute to balanced water flows, clean water and reduced erosion and runoff.

Learn more in our policy brief and report “Water, forests, people – building resilient landscapes”.
This could also be an interesting read – article from SLU Global, member of the Cluster Group Water and Forestry.

The International Day of Forests is a global celebration of the ways in which forests and trees sustain and protect us. This year, focus is on raising awareness of how forests are key to the planet’s freshwater supply, which is essential for life.

A joint celebration of the International Day of Forests and World Water Day will take place In New York at 10.00 EDT at the UN Headquarters, with a general discussion on how forest and water are essential for the 2030 Agenda. The event will be broadcasted live on UN Web TV.

Author: SIWI’s Lotta Samuelson, Programme Manager at Swedish Water House and responsible for the Cluster Group Water and Forestry.