Fact: Deforestation emits more carbon dioxide than the world’s cars, trucks and planes combined.

Tropical deforestation contributes to approximately 20 percent of global carbon emissions. With a focus on forest conservation and tree planting, ARC has been at the forefront of combating global climate change for nearly two decades.

The Role of Trees in Mitigating Climate Change

Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) – the primary gas causing climate change – and through photosynthesis convert it into carbohydrates, releasing life-supporting oxygen in the process. Think of tropical forests as a big sponge – if forests are not kept standing that means there are less trees to soak up problematic CO2 from the atmosphere. Burning and clear-cutting forests only accelerates the release of CO2 into the atmosphere (trees naturally will release CO2 when they die and decompose), forcing vast tracts of land to become unwilling contributors to CO2 sequestration.  The coastal and mountain rainforests of Tanzania are under immense pressure: only 30 percent of the ancient trees remain standing, largely due to clearing for farming and logging.

Who Gets Hurt?

Unfortunately, it is those people who live in developing countries – like Tanzania – who suffer the most from climate change. Climate change has the capacity to reduce food security, threaten the availability of clean drinking water, and increase the occurrence of natural disasters. Without increased efforts from ARC and its partners on the ground encouraging forest conservation, climate change will continue to devastate communities in the Eastern Arc Mountains and around the globe.