Germany's Environment Ministry has allocated 144 million euros in forest reconfiguring and the planting of more heat-resistant tree species, and another 4 billion euros for the rehabilitation of wetlands and marshes, as Germany too is faced with the phenomenon of drought, minister in charge Carsten Schneider declared on Friday, following a bilateral meeting in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart Diana Buzoianu.
"In Germany we are faced with the same drought issue. Of the last 6 years, 3 were the driest ever. We have always considered ourselves a country rich in water, but this is no longer the case, and we have to carefully manage the water resources we have. We also have restrictions in place on the rivers Oder, Elbe and Rhine. In certain areas there are also regulations for the careful use of water, for example a ban on lawn watering. The main reason for the water shortage and the lack of rain is, of course, climate change. Our goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees remains in force, but Germany is trying to find other solutions as well," Schneider told a press conference in Bucharest, agerpres reports.
In this regard, he mentioned planting other heat-resistant tree species in forests and restoring swamps to their natural condition.
"For instance, we should replace coniferous forests with mixed forests, which are much more resilient, and for this my ministry has allocated 144 million euros. The second example is the re-wetting of the former wetlands, which have dried up over the years, by re-establishing the natural water levels and keeping these areas moist, so that they can hold up rain water, that should no longer flow elswhere. For this we have allocated 4 billion euros," Schneider said.
Romanian Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu delivered on Friday press statements with her German counterpart Carsten Schneider after a bilateral meeting.
Germany's Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action and Nuclear Safety Carsten Schneider is paying a visit to Romania July 24 to 26, having meetings scheduled with Romanian politicians and representatives of the civil society regarding climate protection in Romania
Comentează