This is an enormous loss and surely adds to the problems of climate change, when considering that these forests are the natural mechanism, which would normally be making the mountain snows. They would also be normally feeding the waters into the underground aquifers and absorbing carbons. The stability of Earth’s fresh water system depends upon maintaining the integrity of watersheds. These, in turn depend upon the health of the high altitude indigenous mountain forests. To sustain these important mechanisms, Earth’s mountain regions need to be reforested fast. To effectively do this, it is vital that remaining forests are protected and sustained and that action is taken to restore as much as is possible of the natural biodiversity promptly.