Sustaining water through forests 

Tropical forests play a critical role in the stable provisioning of clean, fresh water and related ecosystem services. The challenge of water scarcity is exacerbated by climate change, with roughly half of the world’s population experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year. At IUCN NL, we work towards sustained water supply for healthy ecosystems, productive landscapes and fair access to good quality water for local communities. Our distinctive approach to water and forests focuses on a bottom-up strategy, prioritising local CSOs and communities. We integrate the agendas of climate, water, biodiversity, and the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs). 

Header photo: Philippines (c) Maartje Hilterman/IUCN NL

Globally, both people and ecosystems suffer the consequences of inadequate availability of and access to clean water. Climate change is expected to further exacerbate this, its impacts are primarily felt through worsening floods, rising sea levels, wildfires and droughts. Good – inclusive and just – water governance is central to building the resilience of societies and ecosystems and to reducing carbon emissions. 

The importance of forests for water  

Forests play an essential role in regulating fluxes of atmospheric moisture and rainfall patterns over land through processes like evapotranspiration. This process, where water is transferred from soil and plants to the atmosphere, is crucial for precipitation recycling, contributing at least 40% of rainfall over land and up to 70% in some regions like the Amazon^[1]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378017300134#sec0010. 

Our approach 

Fair access to water  

In a world that is facing a water crisis and where water scarcity and pollution are creating tensions and fueling conflicts, we need locally-embedded actions that promote good water governance and water justice through the protection of forests. At IUCN NL, we work towards ensuring a sustainable water supply for ecosystems and communities and we have made it an integral part of all our work on forests.  

Our approach integrates water governance with biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and social equity, promoting fair access to water and addressing the needs of both IP&LCs and the urban population. We do this in collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs) in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa.   

With these CSOs, we work to protect and restore watersheds, rivers and creeks. We strengthen the capacity and voice of IP&LCs in water governance and management. We also ensure that these communities, including women and youth, can participate in decision-making processes that concern their water sources. In support of this, we work towards improved local and national water policies and their implementation and support legal action if needed.  

Water footprint and conflicts 

In our work we also address the water footprint and conflicts caused by mining, industrial agriculture and dams. These economic activities consume large amounts of water, degrade and often pollute water resources. Reducing the water footprint and improving water governance can help mitigate conflicts and ensure a just and fair water distribution.  

We advocate for water policies and investments that take into account nature, biodiversity, climate and fair access to water for communities and help to facilitate dialogue at different levels. We also support IP&LCs and other (women) environmental defenders to achieve water justice. 

On the international level, we link water to global agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement and make use of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process both in the Netherlands and in tropical forest countries to put water justice issues on the agenda. 

Examples of our work for improved water governance 

Some examples of how we, together with its CSO partners, contribute to good water governance:  

Addressing the water crisis in Chiquitania, Bolivia 

Sustainable water management through social forestry in Indonesia 

With our partner WARSI, we work towards the protection of forests and water resources in West Sumatra, by assisting local communities to establish their village forests. Village Forest Management Groups have been formed and community-based enterprises established, leading to effective and continued water flows for the benefit of nature and local agriculture.  

• Read more about social forestry in Indonesia 

Saving Atewa Forest’s water resources 

In Ghana, we work with A Rocha Ghana and the Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape to protect the  Atewa Forest, which is not only a key biodiversity area but also an important source of water for over five million people, including in the capital of Accra.  

• Read more about our work to protect the Atewa forest 

Protecting Marbel Buluan Watershed 

In the Philippines, we work with Alyansa Tigil Mina  and the Convergence of Initiatives for Environmental Justice to protect the Marbel Buluan Watershed, which is a main water source for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes on the island of Mindanao. A large copper and gold mine  is threatening the watershed. A major victory was achieved in 2024: the signing of a local law that formally protects the Marbel Buluan Watershed.  

• Read more about this success  

Watershed agreements in Bolivia  

In Bolivia, we work with Fundación Natura Bolivia to tackle the issue of water scarcity, which is increasingly faced by communities across Bolivia.  The community-driven watershed agreements are made to incentivise forest conservation and address the impacts of climate change.  Their essence lies in their simplicity and reciprocal nature: upstream landowners are incentivised to conserve forests—not through complex economic transactions, but through tangible, mutually beneficial exchanges with downstream users. 

• Read more about the case of watershed agreements in Bolivia   

IUCN NL’s projects for water & forests 

Through the Forests for a Just Future programme by the Green Livelihoods Alliance, IUCN NL contributes to more sustainable and inclusive management of tropical forests that supports climate mitigation and adaptation, human rights, and the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.  
 
With the Strengthen the Roots project, IUCN NL and Wilde Ganzen support community based organisations in Bolivia, Ghana and Indonesia that stand up for nature in and around their communities, enabling them to mobilize local support for their work. This way, Strengthen the Roots works on nature conservation that is not performed top-down, but is driven by the collective strength of community organisations.