Why Protecting Mountains Means Protecting Our Homes

We often look up at mountains and see them as distant giants—beautiful vacation spots or challenges for hikers. 

But for those of us living in the lowlands and cities, mountains are much more than just scenery. They are a vital protective shield. What happens on the peaks directly impacts the safety and stability of our homes below.

🛡️ Our First Line of Defense Against Typhoons

The recent succession of typhoons has served as a stark, painful reminder of how vulnerable our communities are to extreme weather. Mountains are our natural barriers against these storms. 

When mountain slopes are covered in healthy forests, they act as a sponge, absorbing heavy rainfall and slowing the flow of water into rivers. 

However, when mountains are deforested or degraded, this natural braking system fails. Rainwater rushes down instantly, carrying topsoil with it, leading to the flash floods and landslides that devastate towns and cities downstream. 

Protecting our mountains is not just about saving trees; it is a critical disaster risk reduction strategy necessary to protect lives and property during the typhoon season.

💧 The Source of Our Daily Water

Beyond safety, mountains are the quiet providers of our most essential resource. They are the "water towers" of the world, providing freshwater to more than half of humanity. 

The water that flows from your tap and sustains our agricultural sector starts its journey in the high-altitude forests and watersheds. As climate change creates more erratic weather patterns, preserving these watersheds is essential to ensure we have a reliable water supply during both the dry months and the monsoon season.

🐆 A Refuge for Nature

Mountains also serve as sanctuaries for biodiversity. Because they are harder to develop, they often act as the last refuge for unique plant and animal species that cannot survive in the lowlands. 

Preserving these biological corridors helps maintain the ecological balance that supports agriculture and natural pest control.