Tropical forests as providers of non-carbon climate services for agriculture, energy, water, and public health

Tropical forests affect the climate at local, regional, and global scales in ways other than through the global carbon cycle. For example, evapotranspiration affects transfers of moisture and energy between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere, moderating local temperatures and rainfall patterns.

Deforestation disrupts these services, leading to warmer, drier conditions and more extreme weather events such as droughts and heat waves, compounding the effects of greenhouse warming.  These conditions in turn adversely affect the productivity of agriculture, agricultural workers, municipal water systems, and hydroelectric dams in ways that are costly to local communities and national economies. Much of the research documenting these effects is focused on the Brazilian Amazon.

This event will summarize the state of current knowledge on the effects of forest cover change on climate across scales through non-carbon pathways. Speakers will assess the potential for additional data collection and modelling to advance the knowledge frontier and enable the prediction of the effects of deforestation with greater spatial and temporal resolution.

The session will encourage discussion of the policy implications for various economic sectors and opportunities to provide actionable information for policymakers, producers and financiers.