Climate Change: Floods in Western Canada

Planting trees and arresting deforestation can help

As many as 100,000 people have had to flee their homes in western Canada amid heavy flooding.

Planting Trees, their roots increase water saturation into groundwater reducing water runoff

Torrential rain and floodwaters have washed away roads and bridges and caused landslides in southern parts of the province of Alberta.

Water's edge: the crisis of rising sea levels and floods.

Communities around Calgary, Alberta's largest city, have been particularly badly hit, with a state of emergency declared in a large area to the south. Schools and businesses, as well as several major roads, have been closed.

Is planting trees a solution to large scale deforestation?

The mountain resorts of Banff and Canmore were left isolated after the Trans-Canada Highway was closed.

Helicopters and motor boats had to be used to rescue stranded homeowners. Homes along Cougar Creek, Canmore, Alberta, on 20 June 2013 One resident in Canmore said flood waters had picked up fridges, couches and cars

One resident of Canmore said he woke in the middle of the night to a "kind of rumbling" sound and realised it was the nearby creek.

Planting trees, their roots develop extensive root systems to trap the water

"At first it was just intense, pretty powerful, amazing thing to watch," Wade Graham told the Associated Press. "As daylight came, it just got bigger and bigger and wider and wider, and it's still getting bigger and bigger and wider and wider."

At Sustainable Green Initiative, we plant trees to help the fight against climate change and also hunger, poverty and rural migration. By planting a tree through us, you help in doing your bit to mitigate your carbon footprint and carry on the fight against hunger, poverty and climate change.

Trees reduce pollution, green house gases, retain water, charge aquifers, prevent soil erosion and provide nourishment.

Sustainable Green Initiative plants fruit trees on community lands like orphanages and old age homes and on lands owned by marginal and Bpl farmers. We work with self help groups and NGOs who help us identify right beneficiaries who can continue the process of planting and nurturing trees. (See our methodology).