These deadly floods across South and Southeast Asia were not just about intense rainfall and extreme weather events. Experts and international bodies have linked the exceptional intensity of the disaster to the latest example of the climate crisis’s impact on storm patterns and extreme weather. However, if it were to happen in places where forests remain, storms feel different.

Forests are ecosystems that can protect the earth and everything in it. Trees growing in healthy soil create a functioning hydrological system that extends beyond the soil to the atmosphere. These trees protect the Earth through natural processes, such as tree roots providing a pathway for water to infiltrate the soil and tree canopies slowing the fall of water, preventing erosion.

The life processes of trees within forests can act as a protective barrier for the Earth, reducing the severe risks caused by extreme weather cycles. These natural defenses come from simple things trees do every day. However, if forests are lost and the land becomes degraded, the forest’s capacity can be diminished. This is what leads humanity to increasingly devastating natural disasters over time.

The current extreme weather event is a significant reminder of how extreme weather cycles can be exacerbated by the climate crisis. Forest restoration can be the answer to healing a grieving natural landscape. Returning to nature will certainly take time, but it can build lasting strength. 

By restoring landscapes and reforesting degraded lands, we can restore the function of forests to the Earth. Of course, without leaving local communities behind, we must foster a sense of care for nature and forests, and strengthen the natural systems that protect us from floods, storms, drought, and any other natural disaster. 

One tree seed may seem small, but together, these trees can have a big impact. Let’s plant trees now for a better future!