site.btaForest Crisis in Northeastern Bulgaria Demands Immediate Action, Scientists Say

Forest dieback in northeastern Bulgaria has reached critical levels, requiring urgent measures and long-term changes in forest management, officials and scientists said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Ivan Paligorov warned that rising temperatures, erratic heavy rainfall and prolonged pressure on ecosystems were causing the decline not only of vulnerable tree species but also of native forest stands. Large-scale sanitary felling and restoration using native species would be necessary, he said.

Forestry expert Georgi Kostov said climate change was only part of the problem, as many forests were already degraded or overmature. He noted that some 1.8 million hectares of forest were either damaged or at risk, while potential timber losses could reach 200 million cubic metres, valued at approximately EUR 10 billion.

Officials also highlighted the poor condition of Dobruzha’s 4,000 km of forest shelterbelts, which significantly increase crop yields and reduce agricultural production costs. The participants agreed that restoring the forests and shelterbelts would require coordinated action, regulatory reforms, updated forest inventories and large-scale reforestation using drought-tolerant native species.