Many cities are reliant on protected forests to keep their drinking water safe from pollution. There are verified links, based on research by the World Bank and WWF Alliance, that demonstrate the importance of protected forest areas to drinking water quality in catchment areas.
Proper catchment area management is essential to keep our drinking water supply unpolluted. According to research, the management of protected forests, water resources, related livelihoods and conservation of biodiversity are all related elements of a vital loop that will only be optimized if approached in a holistic manner that acknowledges these inter-dependencies.
Saving forests now will help safeguard our clean water supplies from catchment pollution and the inevitable threats to health and livelihoods that would result.
What can we do to safeguard our water?
Learn the facts and help spread knowledge about the critical link between forests and water catchment pollution.
Raise awareness of where our tap-water comes originates (remember, even underground water aquifers start on the surface). Join the call to action for proper catchment management by conserving our forests.
Help in any way you can to prevent trees being cut, to grow and protect them. Remember that planting new trees where others have been cut can help, but the damage to water quality may have already been done.
Raise your voice in support for effective management of forests and other vegetation. Protection of forests for their watershed values has important and usually beneficial implications for biodiversity. Better understanding of biodiversity issues is required within water supply companies to make the best use of land set aside for water supply.
Remember by supporting forests you support all humanity.
