Welcome

Lost in the woods Back in July, research emerged from a team of scientists in Switzerland, that took a serious look at the issue of land usage on our planet. This particular study focused on global tree coverage and suggested we had the potential to plant 500 billion more trees throughout the world (and on page 8 we catch up with the study’s lead author). While perhaps more of a theoretical exercise designed to encourage serious conversations about carbon capture, it did rather polarise the issue of effective arable land usage to simply being ‘tree or no tree’. Alongside our conversation with the Swiss researcher, our regular Climatewatch columnist, Marco Magrini, takes a moment to offer a more nuanced look at how we can best make use of the Earth’s available spaces.

Of course, the state of the world’s trees are still the main headline-grabber for most and this month’s Dossier (see page 16) presents a deep investigation into just why areas such as the Amazon are still being exploited beyond their ability to sustain. There’s certainly a case to be made for more practical usage of natural resources such as wood (and see our lead Worldwatch story on page 6 for one such striking example of this), but it always needs to come with the understanding that far greater care needs to be given to ensuring we don’t overtax the supply lines beyond the point of sustainability.

Meanwhile, this October will see the 2019 Oman Natural Heritage Lecture being delivered at the RGS-IBG, the fourth in this always illuminating series of talks. This year, the talks will showcase the work of scientists working at the Oman Botanic Garden. As with previous years, Geographical has 50 free tickets to this prestigious event to give away to our readers. Simply head over to geog.gr/oman2019 and select the ‘Geographical Magazine Readers’ option. Tickets are limited to two per reader and are on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to get yours before they’re all taken! Paul Presley Editor

Contributors

‘After many years of exposure to the daily fare of awful headlines associated with the Middle East, travelling to Chamchamal was a salutary reminder of how humanity is universal,’ says Oliver Lowenstein of his visit to northern Iraq’s healing garden (page 46). ‘There is so much positive and affirming work quietly going on that, for one reason or another, isn’t always heard about.’

4 • Geographical

‘Guyana is an unusual corner of South America,’ says travel writer Nick Middleton who travelled to the region to examine how its plans for oil production sit alongside an aim to remain environmentally friendly (page 51). ‘It still has most of its forest and the Guyanese aim to keep it that way. The country deserves to be better known. It receives as many tourists in a year as Machu Picchu gets in one day.’

‘Having trekked into the remote region of Zanskar, I spent an afternoon in a nunnery where some of the nuns were toddlers and the eldest was over 80,’ recalls explorer Felicity Aston (page 63). ‘I was invited to sit with the nuns while they went about their daily observances. It’s incredibly moving, even today, to think that these beautiful women will be there right now, praying to the universe for us all.’

Geographical September 2019 Volume 91 Issue 09

Publisher Graeme Gourlay

Editor Paul Presley Designer Gordon Beckett Staff Reporter Katie Burton Cartographer Ben Hennig Operations Director Simon Simmons Sales and Marketing Director Chloe Smith

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Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Annabel Huxley, Vanessa Lawrence,

Nick Middleton, David Rhind, Antony Sattin, Nigel de N Winser

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