You may have debated this topic at a dinner party, or maybe not… Either way, it is worth pondering. And perhaps planting.
An expanding body of evidence supports the idea that forests, in the right conditions, not only make rain locally but also hundreds of kilometres away. After a little googling, I discovered this article published by NSW DPI that is worth a read.
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/archive/agriculture-today-stories/ag-today-archives/march-2008/removing-trees-reduces-rain