Status: 08/14/2022 5:58 p.m
Large parts of Germany are suffering from acute drought – a consequence of climate change. In view of the development, Environment Minister Özdemir calls for a rapid restructuring of agriculture and forestry.
In view of the extreme drought, Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir has called for faster and more effective combating of climate change. “We, our animals and the environment are suffering more and more from the consequences of the climate crisis,” Özdemir told the “Rheinische Post”.
According to calculations by the German Weather Service (DWD), it should be up to one degree warmer in Germany in the coming years than in the past three decades.
The forest – our “air conditioning system”
“Extreme weather with drought, heavy rain or storms puts a strain on our ecosystems and endangers our farmers’ harvests.” In addition, there would be forest fires, “which destroy the valuable, renewable raw material wood, on which we are more dependent than ever before,” said the Green politician.
“There is only one way out: we have to fight the climate crisis and at the same time prepare for its consequences.” That is why Germany is investing massively in order to sustainably convert forests and agriculture. “We urgently need healthy mixed forest,” said Özdemir. “Because it is our natural air conditioner and does not burn as easily as monocultures of spruce or pine.”
70 percent of the forest area in Brandenburg is monoculture
Forests on sandy soil, such as in Brandenburg, are particularly susceptible to fire. In a comparison of the forest fire statistics in 2021, the federal state was again at the top with 168 fires on around 42 hectares. According to the Potsdam Ministry of Forestry, pine trees grow on around 70 percent of the forest area – more than anywhere else in Germany.
According to Özdemir, Germany is investing massively in sustainable conversion of forests and agriculture. The government is helping the farmers to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. In addition to the production of organic food, it is about the companies working “more resiliently and with less use of resources”. “This also means that animal owners will be able to keep fewer animals better in the future,” said Özdemir. It is clear “that we have to secure our food supply,” he emphasized.