GENEVA: 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, reported Xinhua.
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.
In Western and Central Europe, historical precipitation shortfalls, with some regions experiencing their longest and most consistent annual precipitation deficits in over six decades, have triggered widespread damage to forest canopies, according to the UNECE.
At the same time, urban tree populations across the region are suffering from under extreme urban heat islands and water scarcity, threatening municipal climate defences, air quality, and public well-being, the UNECE warned. -BERNAMA-XINHUA
