as public infrastructure?
David Hall is the Climate Policy Director at Toha.
OPINION: After Cyclone Gabrielle, forestry experts are calling for permanent native forest to be restored to the upper catchments of the East Coast.
This would transform local biodiversity. But the reduction of climate-related risks is the leading rationale.
Forest canopy and tree roots protect the region’s soft soils from wind and rain, which reduces erosion and sedimentation.
Flood risk is also reduced because trees capture and divert rain water, which regulates the volume and speed of floodwaters.
These aren’t private benefits, either. They benefit people and ecosystems throughout the catchment – ki uta ki tai – from the mountains to the sea.
Link to article: What if we think about native forests as public infrastructure? | Stuff.co.nz
