Energy

Tropical forests also support energy security at the local, regional and global levels. Local communities have sustainably used tropical forests as a source of fuel for cooking and heating for thousands of years. Presently, however, fuel wood collection is a major driver of deforestation, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Forests are also essential to the production of hydroelectricity through the regulation of water flow and the reduction of sedimentation in rivers at regional scales. For example, given that over two-thirds of Brazil’s electricity supply is generated through hydroelectricity, any changes in forest cover - which would in turn affect rainfall patterns, surface run-off and sedimentation of dams - would have a significant impact on the energy security of this hydropower-dependant country.