Germany to face extreme weather if climate change continues unchecked

Berlin, June 15 The risks from heat, drought and heavy rainfall throughout Germany would increase sharply if climate change continued unchecked, according to a study by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

The damages would have a domino effect, spreading from already heavily burdened ecosystems such as soils, forests and waters to humans and their health, according to the German government's climate impact and risk assessment (KWRA).

The study, published on Monday, found that there was a "very urgent need for action" in around 30 of the more than 100 impact areas of climate change, Xinhua news agency reported.

Analysed factors included lethal heat strokes, particularly in cities, and dry soil due to water shortages as well as low water levels becoming more frequent.

"Germany needs more trees in the cities, more greenery on the roofs, more space for rivers and much more," said Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Svenja Schulze in a statement.

Schulze stressed that the process in Germany had to be done quickly because "many measures need time to take effect".

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