Urban forests are essential infrastructure for climate resilience, biodiversity, and public health, argues a new essay from a group of global researchers which highlights policy priorities to safeguard these vital ecosystems.

The essay, “Rethinking urban forests as essential infrastructure for resilience, equity, and biodiversity in the current climate emergency,” brings together researchers from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The authors argue that as cities face intensifying heat waves, flooding, and biodiversity loss under a warming climate, urban forests should be treated with the same policy priority as roads, water systems, and other essential infrastructure, rather than as an aesthetic add-on. They call for stronger investment in planting, maintaining, and protecting urban tree canopy, with particular attention to equity, since tree cover is often unevenly distributed across neighborhoods of different income levels.

“Urban forests are not a luxury or a purely aesthetic feature of cities — they are critical infrastructure that provides climate resilience, supports biodiversity, and delivers major public health benefits,” said expert contact Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez of Bangor University.

The authors received no specific funding for this work and declared that no competing interests exist.

Journal: PLOS Climate
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000953
Article Title: Rethinking urban forests as essential infrastructure for resilience, equity, and biodiversity in the current climate emergency
Publication Date: 1-Jul-2026
Institution: Bangor University

Source: EurekAlert