German Forest Summit Calls for Heavy Investment in Reforestation

Germany held a national forest Summit on the 25th. German Minister of Food and Agriculture, Yulia Krekner, said that German forests are now threatened by pests, chronic drought and forest fires, and hundreds of millions of euros are urgently needed for reforestation.

170 research institutions and organizations participated in the summit. In an interview with German media before the opening of the summit, Krekner said Germany must revitalize its forests to deal with climate change. "Every time you lose a tree, you lose a comrade-in-arms in the fight against climate change."

Krekner said the German government estimates that between 700 million and 800 million euros will be invested in reforestation in four years. These funds should first remove dead trees, and the number and types of new trees should be tailored to local conditions. At least, the number of trees reduced in recent years should be supplemented.

According to the German Federal Forestry Workers Association, 250,000 hectares of forests in Germany are affected by chronic drought, storms, forest fires and pests. The association had previously called for a billion trees to be planted in Germany over the next 10 years.