Meet Aida Bargués Tobella, a soil scientist and ecohydrologist exploring how trees, land use, and restoration shape soil health and water systems in tropical drylands. In this short interview with WeForest, she shares key insights on the powerful link between tree-based forests and landscapes.
Photo by Sybryn Maes, Copperbelt Forest, Zambia
Why is it critical to restore forests with water in mind, especially in tropical regions?
Because water sustains all life—and restoration depends on it. In tropical landscapes, drought can devastate young seedlings, and restoration efforts directly influence both blue water (rivers, lakes) and green water (soil moisture that feeds plants). Reliable freshwater access underpins everything from food security to good health and well-being. In fact, water is increasingly seen as the entry point to sustainable development and to achieve all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What’s the often-overlooked link between forests, water, and climate?
It’s not just about water in streams and rainfall—it’s about atmospheric water too. Forests and trees contribute to atmospheric moisture and therefore to rainfall in downwind locations, and drive regional precipitation through something called the biotic pump, moving moisture inland via atmospheric flows. Recent science shows deforestation in one region can reduce rainfall elsewhere.
We’re now thinking beyond watersheds, realizing forests are part of a much larger, teleconnected water system.
It is also about soil water dynamics. Trees and forests can improve the infiltration capacity of soils, reducing the potential of surface runoff and erosion and eventually enhancing groundwater recharge and dry season flows in streams. Improving the hydrological function of soils is critical to adapt to a more extreme hydroclimate.
What’s the most urgent research gap in forest-water-climate restoration?
We lack context-specific data — especially in tropical drylands, including in many sub-Saharan regions. Much of what we know comes from temperate zones and doesn’t apply well to African drylands. That’s why projects like Restore4More are building local evidence, exploring the impact of restoration interventions and restoration management on water, and how tree cover, species diversity, and land management affect soil moisture and water recharge. The goal of the research program is to build smarter, locally-adapted restoration that really works.
Climate. Water. Forests. They’re all connected.
Contact our team today to explore how your organisation can contribute to restore ecosystems and strengthen climate and water resilience.
