Well managed natural forests almost always provide higher quality water, with less sediment and
fewer pollutants, than water from other catchments
Some natural forests (particularly tropical montane cloud forests and some older forests) also
increase total water flow, although in other cases this is not true and under young forests and some
exotic plantations net water flow can decrease
Impacts of forests on security of supply or mitigating flooding are less certain although forests can
reduce floods at a local headwater scale
As a result of these various benefits, natural forests are being protected to maintain high quality
water supplies to cities
Protection within watersheds also provides benefits in terms of biodiversity conservation,
recreational, social and economic values
However, care is needed to ensure that the rural populations living in watersheds are not
disadvantaged in the process of protection or management for water quality
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 2-88085-262-5
Physical Description: 114 p. ; 26 cm
