Trees: Our greatest natural shield against El Niño

Trees: Our greatest natural shield against El Niño

#opinion

Every time we plant or protect a tree, we are doing far more than making our surroundings greener. We are investing in cleaner air, cooler communities, healthier soils, and a more resilient future.

As scientists forecast the return of El Niño, many people ask what can be done to reduce its impacts. El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that alters ocean temperatures and weather patterns, often bringing prolonged heat, reduced rainfall, drought, and a greater risk of wildfires in many parts of the world. We cannot prevent El Niño from occurring, but we can strengthen nature’s ability—and our own ability—to cope with it.

One of the most effective allies we have is the tree.

Trees naturally cool the environment. Through shade and the release of water vapour from their leaves, they lower surrounding temperatures, reducing the intensity of heat waves. A neighbourhood lined with healthy trees is often noticeably cooler than one covered only with concrete and asphalt. During periods of extreme heat, this cooling effect protects people, livestock, and crops.

Trees are also nature’s water managers. Their roots allow rainwater to soak deep into the soil instead of running off the surface. This replenishes groundwater, keeps springs and streams flowing longer during dry seasons, and helps communities maintain water supplies when rainfall becomes scarce. In many ways, forests act as natural reservoirs, storing water for times when it is needed most.

Healthy forests protect the soil as well. Their roots hold the earth together, reducing erosion, while fallen leaves create organic matter that helps the soil retain moisture. During drought, farmland surrounded by healthy vegetation often remains more resilient because the soil loses water more slowly.

Trees also help regulate the climate. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their trunks, branches, roots, and soil. Although planting trees will not stop El Niño, healthy forests reduce the long-term warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, making future climate extremes less severe over time.

Perhaps most importantly during El Niño, forests reduce the risk of environmental collapse. Healthy forests protect biodiversity, provide habitat for wildlife, safeguard watersheds, and create natural barriers against strong winds and extreme temperatures. Communities living near healthy forests often enjoy more stable water supplies and healthier ecosystems than those where forests have been degraded.

But trees can only protect us if we protect them.

During prolonged dry weather, forests become highly vulnerable to fire. A single careless act—burning waste, clearing land with fire, or throwing away a lit cigarette—can destroy thousands of trees in a matter of hours. Every forest fire not only destroys wildlife habitat but also releases enormous amounts of carbon back into the atmosphere, further accelerating climate change.

This is why every citizen has a responsibility. Protect existing trees. Plant new ones. Prevent forest fires. Avoid illegal logging. Care for young trees so they survive. Support community forests and urban greening. Every tree matters.

Governments, schools, businesses, monks, youth groups, and local communities all have important roles to play.

Schools can teach children to value nature. Communities can organise tree-planting and forest protection activities.

Businesses can expand green spaces around workplaces. Families can plant shade trees around their homes and care for them for generations.

The relationship between trees and El Niño is simple but profound. Trees cannot stop the arrival of El Niño, but they can soften its impacts. They cool the air, conserve water, protect the soil, reduce wildfire risks, support agriculture, strengthen biodiversity, and improve the resilience of our communities.

In a warming world, every tree is more valuable than ever.

As we prepare for the months ahead, let us remember that the strongest defence against climate extremes is often the one quietly growing beside us.

When we protect trees, trees protect us.

And when millions of people plant and care for millions of trees, we are not only preparing for the next El Niño—we are building a greener, cooler, safer, and more resilient future for generations to come.

-Khmer Times-