Last year delivered a series of bleak and somber revelations into the impacts of climate change and the state of our planet. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a record high while it was revealed that only 57 countries (representing 60% of global emissions) are on track to simply begin decreasing their emissions. Against this backdrop, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) urgently proclaimed that we only have 12 years to take drastic action if global warming is to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C.

So can we do it? Climate breakdown is no longer a prediction for the future but a reality of today. The enormity of the task ahead of us is enough to despair, throw up our hands and enter a state of paralysis. However, there is no time to wait for tomorrow. Immediate, collective and decisive action is needed now. The Taking Root team (Nicaragua office featured right) is resolute in its determination to rise to the challenge.

For years, we have firmly believed in the social and environmental benefits of reforestation. We did not, however, fully appreciate just how important a part natural solutions like reforestation will need to play to combat climate change. In fact, natural climate solutions like Taking Root’s reforestation program could provide up to 37% of the emissions reductions needed by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree target. As professors Stephen Pacal and Robert Socolow wrote nearly ten years ago in their landmark article in Science Journal:

“Humanity can solve the carbon and climate problem in the first half of this century simply by scaling up what we already know how to do.” 

Our improved understanding of how powerful natural solutions could be is helping to shed light on areas of society which have traditionally been overlooked. Low income rural communities are the most vulnerable to the increasing risk of extreme weather events associated with global warming. At the same time, as a group, they arguably represent the largest potential forest managers in the world, with family farms controlling 75% of global agricultural resources. Increasingly these communities are being recognized as not only needing to be part of the climate change conversation but an essential part of the solution. As a sign of this recognition, the UN recently announced this the Decade of Family Farming.

For us, family farmers have always been our primary focus. Building on a successful 2018 season, we have big plans for 2019. This year is set to be a record year for Taking Root with the aim of reforesting 900 hectares of land in Northern Nicaragua, an area equivalent to over 1,500 football fields. Our expansion is allowing us to work with new communities in Nicaragua providing resilience to farmers in the form of financial security as well as mitigating some of the adverse affects of climate change.

For example, our 2019 Estelí Regeneration Project is helping sustain an essential water source for 100,000 people. Historic deforestation in the region is contributing to extreme weather events including flash flooding and water shortages. Regenerating the forest is helping protect the area while providing much needed financial security for farmers.

Across all our projects, our operations for the year are now in full swing. We are engaging with new communities to recruit farmers and setting up nurseries to support the year’s reforestation efforts (on the right is a video we filmed a couple of weeks ago from a nursery in the municipality of Mozonte). We are also delighted to be expanding both our Nicaraguan and Canadian offices, welcoming a number of new faces to the team.

Reforestation is a local solution which has global impact. 2019 is just the start of our ambition and a signal of our intent to create and inspire natural solutions which reverse and mitigate climate change.

To find out more about Taking Root’s 2019 projects please get in touch with Kahlil and Will at info@takingroot.org.