Incorporating forests in wastewater treatment can increase water recyclability, reduce water treatment costs and improve forest and land conservation. Focali is a co-organizer of this World Water Week event, that will highlight the potential role of trees and forests in wastewater treatment and promote dialogue between the forest and water sectors in order to nurture integrated policies and management.

Forests have a pivotal role for sustainable water supply in many ways. In drier climates, wastewater treatment and forests can reciprocally benefit from each other. Treated wastewater is generally returned to waterways downstream, eventually entering our oceans. But what if forests were part of the water treatment process – returning water upstream to be filtered through natural processes and to recharge groundwater and aquifers to be used again?

The Sub-Saharan Africa case will illustrate the need for innovative water management solutions. About 40% of this continent is semi-arid or dry sub-humid, the population is projected to grow from 1 billion to 3 billion this century and climate change as well as ecosystem degradation creates major water shocks.

Successful examples from Egypt, USA, India and Australia - where wastewater is recirculated and cost- efficiently used to irrigate forests - will be used to forward the discussion on water management solutions in areas facing daunting water challenges. The increasing requirement of rural and peri-urban landscapes to be “multi-functional” - and meet both commercial production needs, fulfil conservation targets and address socio economic needs of local stakeholders - will set the frame for an interactive dialogue between organizers, invited speakers and the audience.

Convenor(s):

CIFOR - Center for International Forestry Research
Focali - Forest, Climate, and Livelihood Research Network
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
ForestTrends
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
International Union for Forest Reserach Organization
SIWI Swedish Water House
Swedish Forestry Agency
Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences