The reforestation challenge
Forests are a key resource in maintaining the equilibrium of our planet
Although our forests are a bulwark against today's many environmental disturbances, they have been somewhat weakened all around the world: The shortage of drinking water, soil drought, global warming, the accelerating disappearance of animals and plants, ...
Every year, over seven million acres of forests disappear, equivalent to one football field disappearing every three seconds! This pace is alarming, as these forests will need many centuries to regrow...
Why should we save our trees?
Because forests are key to our planet. Indeed, they:
- Conserve fresh water: Forests play a role in regulating the fresh-water cycle as well as maintaining water quality. Thanks to their roots, trees retain rainwater and replenish water tables.
- Fix and maintain soil: Thanks to their network of roots, forests help combat landslides, erosion and flooding. In climates that have an autumn their leaves fall to the ground, decomposing and enriching the soil with humus (black fertile earth).
- Combat global warming: Every day, trees absorb CO2 in order for their wood to grow. This phenomenon limits the impact of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming. In contrast, deforestation releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Thus, deforestation contributes 18% to 25% to global CO2 emissions. (Réseau Action Climat France / France Climate Action Network, 2007)
- Account for 80% of living species: They are incredibly rich in terms of biodiversity, in the variety of animal and plant species. This makes them a key environmental asset as they host a generic diversity that is essential to the survival of life on earth. But today, it is estimated that 100 species are disappearing from our tropical forests every day. (FAO, 2004)
- Are essential for health: Plants allow man to create new drugs. Approximately 50% of commercial therapeutic drugs have a natural origin. For example, the celebrated aspirin is a derivative of acetylsalicylic acid which is found naturally in willow bark. (Source : WWF)
- Directly support the livelihood of 1.6 billion people: For one-fifth of humanity forests represent an irreplaceable source of food, fuel, water, building material, medicinal plants, etc. When a forest disappears, entire populations need to move.
