Forests and water: international momentum and action

Forests play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle. Forests influence the amount of water available and regulate surface and groundwater flows while maintaining high water quality. Forests and trees contribute to the reduction of water-related risks such as landslides, local floods and droughts and help prevent desertification and salinization. Forested watersheds supply a high proportion of the world’s accessible fresh water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and ecological needs in both upstream and downstream areas. A key challenge faced by land, forest and water managers is to maximize the wide range of forest benefits without detriment to water resources and ecosystem function. This is particularly relevant in the context of adaptation to climate change, which increasingly reinforces the importance of sustainable forest management. As part of the follow-up to the Shiga Declaration and to the Warsaw Resolution 2, many events on forests and water were organized by FAO and other institutions between 2008 and 2011. Presenting experiences ranging from research to project implementation worldwide, these events provided new, up-to-date insight into the topic as well as important recommendations for the way forward. FAO took the initiative of synthesizing the main outcomes and recommendations resulting from this process to develop a comprehensive and practical international forests and water agenda to address future course of action.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	FAO, Rome (Italy). Forestry Dept. eng 184178
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:
Published:	Rome (Italy) FAO 2013
Subjects:	FORESTS, WATER RESOURCES, WATER AVAILABILITY, WATER SUPPLY, CLIMATIC CHANGE, ADAPTATION, SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT, CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE, FORET, RESSOURCE EN EAU, EAU DISPONIBLE, APPROVISIONNEMENT EN EAU, CAMBIO CLIMATICO, ADAPTACION, BOSQUES, RECURSOS HIDRICOS, DISPONIBILIDAD DEL AGUA, ABASTECIMIENTO DE AGUA,
Online Access:	http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3129e.pdf
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!