Forests4Water: The Role of Forest Ecosystems in Safeguarding Water Resources

Urban areas in South Asia face escalating water stress, ecological degradation, and climate risks due to rapid land-use change, deforestation, wetland loss, and pollution, all of which disrupt water cycles and are worsened by climate change. Forest ecosystems, whether in upstream catchments, along coasts, or within cities, play a vital role in regulating flows, recharging aquifers, filtering pollutants, and buffering climate extremes, yet remain undervalued in urban planning.

With urban decisions influencing distant ecosystems and climate extremes intensifying, this webinar series will explore how forests can be systematically integrated into city planning, water governance, and climate adaptation. Focusing on landlocked, coastal, and mountain cities, it will highlight context-specific challenges and solutions to strengthen the forest-water-climate resilience connection.

Panelists:

Sahana Goswami https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahana-goswami-143b02a/ Senior Program Manager, WRI India Dr M Shah Hussain https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-shah-hussain-39191669/ Scientist In-charge, CEMDE, University of Delhi

• Urban and regional planners
• Water utility professionals and engineers
• Forest and environment department officials
• NGOs and think tanks working on water and landscape conservation
• Policy makers and donor agencies
• Researchers, academics, and students in environmental sciences and urban studies

Together, the series will generate actionable insights to help embed forest-based solutions into the water security agendas of cities. Participants will:

• Understand the interface between forest ecosystems and water systems
• Gain insights into applying nature-based solutions for the integrated management of forests and water ecosystems, with a focus on mitigating climate risks
• Discover case studies and scalable practices from India and South Asia
• Explore how effective governance, community practices, and stakeholder participation contribute to strengthening the forest-water nexus