Great report

Climate change: Germany in search of the forest of the future

Audio 7:30 p.m.

In German forests, spruce monocultures are the first but not the only victims of climate change.

© Stefanie Schuler/RFI

By: Stefanie Schüler Follow

1 min

Germany is one of the most forested countries in Europe.

But the impact of climate change is increasingly felt: after three years of extreme drought and an invasion of bark beetles, the forests that cover more than a third of the national territory are in bad shape.

More than two out of ten trees are healthy today.

Faced with this tragedy, Germany launched the largest reforestation program in its history.

The government even speaks of a “generational mission”: 280,000 hectares must be reforested.

Advertising

But here it is: which trees to plant?

Is it possible to make the forest of tomorrow more resilient to climate change?

And will forests still be able to protect us from global warming in the future by absorbing CO2, while continuing to supply us with the precious renewable raw material that is wood?

German scientists disagree on how to proceed as the situation requires urgent political decisions.

 "Climate change: Germany in search of the forest of the future", a major report by Stefanie Schüler. 

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

• Germany

• Climate change

• Raw materials

On the same subject

Central African forest ministers united for the preservation of the environment

Madagascar: trafficking and threats endanger the Vohibola forest

world environment day

Around the globe, rainforests are failing