UNECE says drought, heatwaves intensify stress on forest, urban nature

Half of the territory of the European Union (EU) and Britain is currently experiencing drought, with severe precipitation deficits critically compromising soil moisture and forest health, said the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Friday in a press release.
Severe drought conditions and record-breaking summer temperatures across UNECE member States, particularly Europe and North America, are accelerating stress on forest ecosystems, the UNECE said.
“The compounding crises of persistent drought, heat stress, wildfire risk, and secondary disturbances such as aggressive bark beetle outbreaks and phytopathogenic disease activity are driving unprecedented forest dieback across the region,” it said.