July 28, 2020

Join the effort to reforest the planet

topic:	Conservation
tags:	#reforestation, #climate crisis, #India, #Africa, #South America, #NGO, #donation
by:	Yair Oded

Aptly dubbed ‘the lungs of the earth’, forests play a critical role in sustaining our planet by, among other functions, sequestering greenhouse gasses. Rapid population growth and unrestrained industrial activity have led to the decimation of forests worldwide.

Now that we have ten years to avoid a global temperature increase of more than 2°C and ward off the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, we must urgently engage in global efforts to, simultaneously, cease deforestation and expand existing forestry. 

WeForest is an expanding international network of companies of various sizes that together empower communities to carry out forestation projects.

The network is backed by scientific work and collaborates with companies, NGOs, and communities to facilitate reforestation projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, Tanzania and India. 

“It's not about planting trees, it's about the overall result for the environment and for the people who live there. Regaining ecological integrity to enhance human well-being is key to ensure the forest will be protected for the long term,” WeForest states on its website. 

In Ethiopia, for instance, WeForest has been working since 2016 to restore and protect over 40,000 ha of the Desa’a forest, 74% of which has been decimated, through Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and Enrichment Planting. 

Globally, we must restore forests equivalent to the size of India by 2030 (350 m ha), in addition to stopping deforestation, if we want to meet the IPCC deadline for reducing CO2 emissions. 

Please visit the WeForest website to learn more about the significance of reforestation efforts, access information about their past and ongoing projects, and make a donation. 

Image: Joseph King