BERLIN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The continuing drought in Germany has been a cause for concern for the German government, which is "closely monitoring this development and taking the concerns of the agricultural sector very seriously," a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said on Thursday.
The spokesperson added that "it is also important to point out that it is not possible for the weather services to give a reliable forecast over a longer period of time" and all the current forecasts for the rest of the summer "are speculative".
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), soils in many regions of Germany were significantly drier at the beginning of this year's vegetation period than the long-term average.
In Brandenburg, parts of Berlin, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, among other places, the DWD had reported the highest level of warning for forest fires.
On Thursday, police in the federal state of Hesse said they believed a lightning strike had caused a major forest fire spanning around seven hectares. Around 400 emergency forces were involved in fighting the fire.
"If the ground is already so dry then the conditions for a forest fire are pre-given, especially if the old wood or litter that lies on the forest floor is as dry as it is," a DWD spokesperson told Xinhua.
"The drier the old or waste wood, the greater the danger that fires can be triggered by cigarettes and other catalysts," the spokesperson added.
In line with this, Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, president of the association of German forest owners (AGDW), stressed that "anyone who moves in the forest must be careful not to cause a fire".
Von der Marwitz added that "the rescue and stabilization of our forests must have highest priority in view of the persisting dryness."
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, around 32.4 million cubic meters of damaged wood were recorded in 2018 due to "storms, the extreme drought, an above-average number of forest fires and bark beetle infestation."
In some places, the work of generations had been destroyed within a short time, which "was painful," said Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner.
Kloeckner was taking "the concerns of the affected forest owners very seriously." The long-term common goal "is to make forests more resistant to climate change."
The Ministry cited initial forecasts as suggesting that a similar amount of damaged timber can be expected this year as well.
According to AGDW calculations, this would be equal to around 2.5 billion euros (2.78 billion U.S. dollars) of damages and so the forest owners recently demanded 500 million euros of support from the federal government.
"Our forests are climate protectors, water reservoirs, air filters, recreational areas and a habitat for many animals," said AGDW President von der Marwitz. "It is therefore a task for society as a whole to preserve all these functions."
