Drought in Europe

Synopsis

In the last four years, large parts of Europe have experienced a drought that has had drastic consequences for forests and agriculture. Which measures could counteract the drought?

2020 was the warmest year ever recorded in Europe. The fourth heatwave in succession caused soil to dry out several metres deep in many regions. This is a phenomenon we are only otherwise familiar with in deserts. Scientists confirm that Europe is experiencing a drought. And that it will have drastic consequences for agriculture, forests, the climate and our life in general. This film shows ways the drought can be tackled on a political and social level. What scientific, agricultural and forestry measures are possible? We take a closer look at European forestry and agricultural policy in Brussels. Is the agricultural lobby with its EU subsidies for large-scale enterprises exacerbating the problem? Could it even be one of the causes? Instead of EU land subsidies, scientists and NGOs are calling for an agricultural policy that focuses on sustainability. Even in Brussels, a rethink is taking place, albeit slowly. We introduce EU-wide projects aimed at mitigating the drought: green genetic engineering, the European Green Deal, and we look at the importance of sustainable field and forest management. The film introduces scientific, agricultural and forestry projects as well as independent initiatives in Germany, France, Spain and Romania that aim to combat drought.

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