Worldwide, the loss of forests and certain farming methods are causing serious damage to essential ecosystems. There is growing interest in combating climate change through the restoration of these damaged areas by planting forests and other ecosystems. However, the practicality and benefits of such efforts remain uncertain. Past research has often overlooked how restoring ecosystems impacts available water resources, particularly in water-limited regions. Water scarcity is already a pressing global issue that is expected to worsen over time.
Globally, the loss of forests and specific agricultural practices harm critical ecosystems. Although there is an increasing focus on tackling climate change by restoring these damaged areas with forests and other ecosystems, the practicality and potential benefits of this approach are still uncertain. Prior research has failed to address how ecosystem restoration affects available water resources, especially in regions facing water shortages. The issue of water scarcity is already significant worldwide and is projected to become even more serious in the future.
Josh Fisher, an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Chapman’s Schmid College of Science and Technology, stated, “There is a growing interest in climate mitigation by restoring those degraded lands with forests and other ecosystems. This study is precisely what we need to transform the concept of ecosystem restoration into a practical nature-based solution for climate issues.”
This research, conducted by scientists across four continents, evaluates the potential for restoring these lands, the amount of carbon that could be absorbed from the atmosphere into restored ecosystems (contributing to climate change mitigation), and the water needed to sustain these environments. The researchers compared these water needs with current and anticipated future water availability. Their results offer a detailed understanding of the trade-offs and beneficial relationships between carbon capture goals and water security, creating a framework to help implement ecosystem restoration strategies sustainably.
Key Findings
- Their analysis indicates that achieving maximum carbon restoration on a global scale could result in a 26% reduction in per capita water availability. Currently, 38 out of 175 countries would see a drop of over 100%, effectively running out of water resources. Additionally, 20 nations that currently do not face water scarcity could find themselves experiencing such issues due to extensive carbon restoration, notably including Australia. On the other hand, 58 countries would benefit from increased water availability per person. Overall, our findings suggest that striving for carbon restoration might negatively impact water security in many countries, particularly those that are dry or densely populated.
- As nations define their strategies for achieving net-zero emissions, they must carefully consider the varying trade-offs between carbon storage and water resource management based on differing climatic, ecological, and societal conditions. This study lays the groundwork for a more integrated approach to achieving both carbon restoration and water security goals, benefiting policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.
