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Summary
- A report by Nature Geoscience has suggested that planting more trees could help Europe tackle climate change and set an example for the rest of the world.
- The research has found that summer rains can be boosted by 7.6% on average if agricultural lands are converted into forests.
- The report also states that more rain can decrease the draughts led by climate change.
Trees are earth’s lungs. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen and help our planet in the battle against climate change. It has always been said that we should “plant more trees”. However, the other superpower that trees have is now under limelight.
A new report by the scientific journal Nature Geoscience has suggested that planting trees could help Europe tackle climate change and set an example for the rest of the world.
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Decoding the report
According to the lead author Ronny Meier, Nature Geoscience’s report has significant findings and carries positive implications against climate change.
The study suggests that planting 20% more trees could help in increasing rainfall in Europe. The research also found that if agricultural land is converted into forests, it can play a “substantial” role in decreasing dry conditions linked with climate change. That could increase rainfall by 7.6% in the summer.
The study also revealed that a 20% rainfall increase is the ideal amount needed to help Europe battle climate change without negatively impacting agricultural land.
How can forestation lead to more rainfall?
Nature Geoscience’s report results highlight that land-cover changes like forestation can significantly change precipitation in the mid-latitudes, both locally and further downwind.
There is no direct conclusive link between reforestation and rainfall. However, the authors suggest that the increase in rainfall due to forestation could be because of the relationship between trees and cloudy air. The cloudy air triggers rain stays for a longer duration over forested areas, thus causing more rain.
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How does more rainfall help tackle climate change?
Copernicus’ latest European State of the Climate report stated that 2020 was Europe’s hottest year, and worldwide it was one of the three warmest years on record. Draught has become one of the most dangerous consequences of climate change.
The Copernicus report states that as droughts are projected to become more severe with changing climate in Europe, the interplay between land-cover and water availability deserves more attention.
Trees help in enhancing rainfall and plunge the climate change crisis. Along with that, they also reduce soil erosion and provide habitat to wildlife.
The road ahead
Trees planted in one country might have impacts on other means as well as influence other countries to follow suit. Hence, the world economy should cautiously think of how the land is taken into use. So, it is not as easy as simply planting trees to battle climate change; many other factors are to be kept in mind.
Conclusively, planting trees can help tackle climate change. However, it is not enough to reduce carbon emissions by all means. To keep the planet below 1.5C of warming, the world economy must take stringent measures to cut down emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
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