Romania’s south could turn into a desert, minister says

In the next 20 years, the climate in Romania will be similar to that of Greece, defined by long periods of heatwaves with many extreme weather phenomena, with desertification in the south, Romanian environment minister Mircea Fechet recently argued.

Seasons in Romania are already no longer the same, Fechet said. He also added that the changes offer the perspective of cultivating new plant varieties. At the same time, Fechet signaled that climate changes lead to desertification in southern Romania, a process that is already ongoing.

"It is important to know that if things continue as the specialists from the National Meteorological Administration say they will, the climate in Romania in the next 20 years will be similar to the climate in Greece, as we know it. We will have an arid climate, with long periods of heatwaves and many extreme weather phenomena. And then, I believe that the entire Romanian society will change. Not just in terms of how we work or the hours in which we will be more active. I believe it will affect all of us, whether we are in the workforce, retirees, children, or adults. It is said that even the fruits we grew up with - the ones we are used to eating and cultivating - could decrease, just as there is the possibility of cultivating new types of plants. Just as people will adapt, agriculture will undoubtedly adapt as well," the minister told Digi24.

Fechet noted that the transition from winter to summer is much faster, and everyone feels that there is no longer a clear distinction between them. "The climate has already changed a lot. We don't even need to ask the elderly. [...] It is much warmer. Surely, the four seasons we were accustomed to in childhood have changed in intensity and duration. I think everyone feels that there is hardly a spring and autumn as they were 40 years ago and that we transition from winter almost directly to summer and vice versa," the official argued.

Fechet also said that the southern part of Romania is turning into a desert. “There is a risk, if we do not intervene rapidly - and reforestation is one of the tested tools that we already have at hand - that it will turn into a small Sahara desert, proportionally speaking,” he added. However, the minister concluded that the authorities will manage to stop the desertification process.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Sabin Cirstoveanu)