During the World Water Week, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the United States Forest Service and partners have launched the "A guide to Forest-Water Management" document. This work starts from the awareness that forests and trees play a vital role in meeting the world's increasing demand for water and they need to be managed for water-related ecosystem services. Today, the world’s major cities are increasingly dependent on access to fresh water sources for the most diverse purposes, such as agricultural, industrial, domestic and environmental use. Forest basins make a substantial contribution to meeting this need. Better forest management, such as protection, restoration and/or reduction of forest fuel load, would benefit two-thirds of the urban water supply, including in terms of water quality.
A Guide to Forest-Water Management is the first comprehensive global publication to provide guidance on the contribution of forests for a holistic approach to water resource management, including the management, monitoring and valuation of forests to deliver water-related ecosystem services.
Read more here.