How healthy is your watershed?
Measure forest and track recent forest loss in your watershed.
Topics
Explore the relationship between forests and several key themes critical to sustainability and the health of our future ecosystems.
Nearly 20% of the world's population will be at-risk for floods by 2050.
Forests are a natural, cost-effective way to help secure ample, clean water and to protect against natural disasters like floods and droughts.
Scroll to discover
Water
Natural state
Forests are critical to supplying clean and plentiful water around the world. Healthy forests filter water, reduce erosion, regulate rainfall, recharge groundwater tables and buffer against the impacts of droughts and floods. Coastal forests are especially important in providing protection from surges and are crucial breeding grounds for marine life.
Water
Drivers of change
Deforestation compromises watershed health and increases risk of floods and drought. More frequent and severe forest fires, exacerbated by climate change, can pollute water supplies, reduce forest cover and devastate communities.
Water
Compromised state
Deforested watersheds are unable to properly filter water and regulate water supply for the communities that depend on them. Erosion, flood and landslide risks increase without forests to hold sediment in place and channel precipitation under ground. Deforested coasts are more vulnerable to storm surges and fisheries suffer.
Water
Recovery state
Restoring and conserving forests can help increase water security. There is a growing wave of investments in forests for water, given the economic, environmental and public health benefits these critical lands can generate.
Water RELATED TOOLS
Forest solutions for healthy watersheds
Learn about successful efforts to secure the water-related functions of networks of forests and other ecosystems in the United States.
Partners
Topics
Explore the relationship between forests and several key themes critical to sustainability and the health of our future ecosystems.
Nearly 20% of the world's population will be at-risk for floods by 2050.
Forests are a natural, cost-effective way to help secure ample, clean water and to protect against natural disasters like floods and droughts.
Scroll to discover
Water
Natural state
Forests are critical to supplying clean and plentiful water around the world. Healthy forests filter water, reduce erosion, regulate rainfall, recharge groundwater tables and buffer against the impacts of droughts and floods. Coastal forests are especially important in providing protection from surges and are crucial breeding grounds for marine life.
Water
Drivers of change
Deforestation compromises watershed health and increases risk of floods and drought. More frequent and severe forest fires, exacerbated by climate change, can pollute water supplies, reduce forest cover and devastate communities.
Water
Compromised state
Deforested watersheds are unable to properly filter water and regulate water supply for the communities that depend on them. Erosion, flood and landslide risks increase without forests to hold sediment in place and channel precipitation under ground. Deforested coasts are more vulnerable to storm surges and fisheries suffer.
Water
Recovery state
Restoring and conserving forests can help increase water security. There is a growing wave of investments in forests for water, given the economic, environmental and public health benefits these critical lands can generate.
Water RELATED TOOLS
How healthy is your watershed?
Measure forest and track recent forest loss in your watershed.
Partners