A[United Nations agency: Sustained high temperatures and droughts in Europe and the United States are exacerbating pressure on forests] On August 29, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe issued a press release saying that in Europe and North America, continued severe droughts and record summer high temperatures are exacerbating the pressure on forest ecosystems. Data from the European Drought Observation Website, an agency affiliated with the European Union, shows that 50% of the EU and the UK are currently in drought, and the severe lack of precipitation has significantly affected soil moisture and forest health. Continued drought, high temperature stress, wildfire risk, combined with secondary disasters such as large-scale bark beetle outbreaks and plant diseases, are leading to unprecedented forest dieback in Europe. In Central and Western Europe, some areas are experiencing the longest and most persistent annual rainfall deficit in more than 60 years, causing widespread canopy defoliation and damage.
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