Hydrate: the role of water

HYDRATE: The Role of Water

ERA partners Jimi Sol and Rob deLaet show why droughts and floods are the result of eco-destruction, not just increased temperatures.

Key Concepts

Water is how the earth cools itself. But the planet is drying out. Not just as a result of global warming but also:

  • Fewer forests to hold water and send water vapor and heat up into the atmosphere.  
  • Degraded soil cannot hold water to grow vegetation or create cooling. 
  • Poor land use sends water down drains, to rivers and oceans, without allowing it to hydrate and cool the Earth.  

Small Water Cycle

Biodiversity makes it work through infiltration and transpiration. It ensures water regulation, reduces desertification, pollution, drought, flooding, and mitigates urban heat islands, making it essential to protect and restore.

Land reshaping

Land reshaping techniques like contouring, terracing, swales, berms, wetland restoration, afforestation, and conservation agriculture improve the small water cycle by enhancing water infiltration and retention.

Infiltration Team

Biodiversity aids water infiltration by enhancing soil structure. Organisms like earthworms, fungi, beetles, prairie dogs and plant roots create pathways for water penetration.

Voices of Water

Voices of Water for Climate brings water’s cooling power to the forefront of climate action, emphasizing the role of biology in restoring landscapes for a sustainable and equitable future.

Biotic Pump

The biotic pump is a process where forests release water vapor through transpiration, creating low pressure that draws in moisture and influences rainfall patterns. Read about it in our compendium or watch a video.

Other Water Videos

Water is essential for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. It regulates temperature, supports ecosystems, and sustains life, highlighting its crucial role in preserving a livable planet.