Green water

Green water refers to the moisture stored in soils, vegetation, and landscapes that cycles between land and atmosphere through evapotranspiration and rainfall. It underpins food production, ecosystem health, and climate regulation. Although invisible compared to blue water in rivers and reservoirs, green water sustains forests, agriculture, and the rainfall patterns on which societies depend. Yet green water is rarely governed explicitly. Deforestation, land degradation, unsustainable farming practices, and climate change are disrupting evaporation, transpiration and precipitation patterns across regions. Decisions about forests, land use, and agriculture are often made separately from water policy, despite their direct influence on rainfall and soil moisture. Without stronger coordination, green water flows can be altered in ways that increase continental drying, drought risk, reduce crop yields, and weaken ecosystem resilience.