Natural forests and sustainably managed biodiverse forests play important roles in climate change mitigation and adaptation while providing many other ecosystem goods and services  . Contributions of natural forests to climate change mitigation are estimated at a median of 5-7 GtCO2 yr1 . Forests influence the water cycle on a local, regional and global scale , reducing surface runoff, increasing infiltration to groundwater and improving water quality . Recent evidence shows that downwind precipitation is also influenced by evapotranspiration from forests . Protecting existing natural forests and sustainably managing production forests in a holistic manner can optimise the provision of the many functions forests fulfil for owners, conservation, mitigation and for society as a whole .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report