Eurostat reports on Cyprus forest cover and EU drought trends

According to data released by Eurostat on Wednesday, Cyprus recorded a forest cover of 18.6 percent of its total land area in 2023. This figure places Cyprus below the European Union average, where forests covered 39 percent of the total land area in the same year. Finland and Sweden reported the highest rates of forest cover at 66.5 percent and 62.4 percent respectively, while Malta and the Netherlands recorded the lowest at 4.3 percent and 9.7 percent. The report also highlights the progression of the EU's sustainable development goal regarding life on land. Regarding drought, a total of 156,703 square kilometers of land within the EU were affected in 2024. Although drought-affected areas were lower in 2023 and 2024 compared to previous years, a 10-year moving average indicates an overall upward trend. The highest recorded levels of drought in the past decade occurred in 2022, when 558,313 square kilometers were affected, and in 2018, when 520,817 square kilometers were impacted.