Forests support more than rural communities – they also sustain livelihoods of people living in and around cities.
- Trees in urban environments provide incomes for poor people living in cities, who are often new migrants from rural areas. The extraction, transportation, processing, and sale of a variety of NTFPs provide poorly educated migrants with employment, giving them a chance to send their children to school and establish their new life in an urban environment.
- Urban forests cool the environment, provide valuable habitats for birds and small animals, and shield against severe weather. This can help save energy, protect against strong winds and flooding, reduce the risk of landslides and stormwater runoff, and encourage healthy lifestyles).
- Forests in urban and surrounding areas provide employment opportunities in the nursery industry, gardening and food production, furniture industry, street vending and selling, transportation and more. In addition, home gardens can support food security, small businesses and fuelwood for cooking and heating.
