Welcome to the second FTA newsletter of this year, dedicated to our recent Cool insights for a hot world: Trees recycle water and modify climate event.

On the double occasion of International Day of Forests and World Water Day, we brought together leading experts, including from FTA, for an online symposium on the nexus of trees, water and climate, along with more than 200 participants on the web.

The research findings that served as fodder for the discussions could turn a lot of today’s thinking on its head in terms of the relationship between climate, forests and water. This newsletter brings you recordings from the event, two blogs on the topic and an overview of the implications.

Closely related to these cool insights, I would also like to draw your attention to the Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter on 18 May in Jakarta. Peatlands are important for carbon and are a major component of the water cycle. GLF Peatlands will discuss challenges and solutions for the preservation of these highly sensitive landscapes and the vital roles they play. 

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Symposium news

Recordings from FTA's first online symposium available now

If you missed the Cool insights for a hot world virtual symposium, you now have the chance to watch recordings of the sessions on the FTA website. The presenters, including authors of the Trees, forests and water: Cool insights for a hot world research paper, shared their insights on the recent findings, which have shed new light on the role of forests and trees in the climate debate. Read also the event recap blog.

Save the forests, or lose the rain

Every day, forests replenish the supply of water vapor in the atmosphere. Along with evaporation from oceans and other water bodies, this is what drives the water cycle and charges the atmosphere with water vapor. The process is so powerful that it can even be seen from space. Watch the video.

Turning the global conversation on trees, forests and climate on its head

Recent cross-cutting research from 22 scientists, including a number from FTA, provides examples of how trees cool down our planet. The scientists found evidence for the widespread perception that trees and forests can influence rainfall. Read more in the blog.

Cool insights – hot consequences

The predominent perspective on forests and climate change could change radically in the future, participants in FTA's recent online symposium heard. Importantly, the change may not come from carbon, but from water. Find out here what FTA Director Vincent Gitz and FTA Landscape Research Leader Meine van Noordwijk have to say about the matter.

Global Landscapes Forum will show why peatlands matter

Research on peatlands — the world’s largest carbon sinks — is an important theme of FTA, so the upcoming Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter is of particular importance to us. The focus of the event will be to identify landscape-level solutions and accelerate measurable action on the ground in negotiating conflicting land-use demands.