The role of forests in global water supply

The role of forests as one of the most important water suppliers is often being overlooked. When countries create water resource policies they don't usually include forests forgetting their role in supplying a significant amount of moisture that creates rain.

If we look at things from more global perspective then this means that by reducing and destroying forest area we are also reducing regional and continental rainfall.

Not all scientists look equally at the role forests play in global water supply – some scientists primarily see trees as water consumers and other see trees as water suppliers.

In order to determine whether trees are actually water consumers or water suppliers we first need to choose a perspective which will be used to look at the role of forests in global water supply. If we choose to look at things from our local perspective then trees are really water consumers but when looking at things from global perspective we must look at forests as the ones that supply the atmosphere with moisture that will eventually become rainfall.

Deforestation and land conversion are taking a heavy toll in many corners of the world. The scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) believe that if the loss of forests continues, there is a significant risk that both rainfall and water supply will decrease in many places across the globe.

Forests are vital for our future wellbeing. Not only they play major role in global water supply but are also sinking huge amount of carbon from the atmosphere which helps reduce the climate change impact.

The sustainable use of world's forests is one of the key issues that world will have to find solution for. The survival of forests means also our very own survival.