Brasov, Cluj, 29 March 2022 – Discussions about climate change and how it affects our forests are heated among pupils and students in Brasov and Cluj, in Romania. The biggest concerns are that we do not currently know what kind of forest management we should apply in a forest if disasters occur, nor how we can reduce their negative impact on forests.
This month Radu Melu, the national manager of the forestry department at WWF Romania, discussed these topics with students from Unirea National College in Brasov and with students from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca.
The WWF expert explained that we cannot stop climate change, but we can think of solutions that will help increase the forest’s resilience to these phenomena. In this context, Melu presented the CLIMAFORCEELIFE project which aims, among other things, to develop a guide to good practice for professionals and to provide some solutions to follow in the context of new climate challenges.
“It is important for all of us to be aware that climate change can happen at any time and that the forest (nature) is the only one that can provide solutions to these challenges,” says Melu.
To help the youth better understand the situation, the WWF specialist told them about the main phenomena currently facing forests in Romania such as wind and snow falling, bark insect attacks, fires or floods. Their effects can lead to significant losses if the forest management is not the right one. Mistakes can include the failure to apply or delay the completion of maintenance work (such as clearing or thinning), the defective or unadapted enforcement of forest protection rules to the new climate context, or imposing climate-inappropriate afforestation schemes.
