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Evidence suggests that climate change is one of the drivers for decreased forest productivity, tree diebacks, increased risk of forest fires, pest outbreaks, changes in the range of forest plants and animals and disruption to the water and climate regulatory and storage functions that forests provide.

Damage to forests will have negative impacts on surrounding areas, increasing the risks and severity of floods, landslides, reduced groundwater recharge, avalanches, erosion, saltwater intrusion and storm damage. Loss of forest area and tree degradation also reduces carbon storage capacity, creating a negative cycle of forest loss and increased GHG emissions.

Forests can therefore support the resilience of both the landscape for agricultural production and the livelihoods of rural communities. Forest management practices and landscape restoration can support forest productivity and the productivity of nearby cultivated areas, through positive effects on soil, water, climate processes and biodiversity. This will, in turn, help surrounding communities, including the most vulnerable, to build resilient and adaptive livelihoods.