Walloon forests severely degraded after 2026 summer heatwaves and drought

The Observatory of the Health of the Walloon Forests reports a sharp deterioration in forest condition following summer 2026 heatwaves and drought, reversing the encouraging trends noted in 2025. The public body's mid-September communication is markedly more alarming, citing extreme soil moisture deficits in early August. This signals accelerating climate stress on Belgian forests, with implications for timber, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.