Why Europe’s Climate Crisis Is Also a Land-Use Crisis
MEP Michal Wiezik discusses why Europe’s floods and droughts are not surprises, but the long-predicted reality of the climate crisis.
Every year, more and more devastating floods – from central Europe to Mediterranean regions – show just how exposed Europe remains to the climate crisis – and to the loss of the ecosystems that once protected us from it. Do you see these disasters as a wake-up call about the state of Europe’s natural resilience?
No, I wouldn’t call it a wake-up call anymore. That call came 30 years ago. What we’re witnessing now is the reality of the climate crisis unfolding before our eyes. The droughts, floods, and extreme weather events we see across the European Union were all predicted long ago. Today, they’re happening exactly as the scientific data warned they would.
What we’re witnessing now is the reality of the climate crisis unfolding before our eyes.
So this isn’t a moment for surprise – it’s confirmation. The climate crisis is real, it’s here, and we must act decisively to prevent the worst-case scenarios from becoming reality. The time for debate is long over; now is the time for proper, science-based action.
Some climate scientists say that land-use change, from deforestation to wetland drainage, is now as powerful a driver of regional extreme weather as climate change itself. As both a scientist and a politician, how do you see the role of land-use in shaping Europe’s climate resilience today?
It’s encouraging to see climate scientists increasingly recognising how deeply interconnected these systems are. For a long time, discussions about climate change focused narrowly on climate physics, as if separate from the ecosystems that underpin our planet. In reality, nothing in nature operates in isolation.
Land-use change and climate change are not competing forces – they are interlinked systems that constantly influence one another. Climate change alters landscapes, and in turn, the way we use and manage land affects how our environment can absorb or amplify those changes.
Land-use change and climate change are not competing forces – they are interlinked systems that constantly influence one another.
The outcome of this interaction is clear: the more we degrade our landscapes, the less capacity they have to buffer against floods, droughts, and other extremes. So instead of comparing which factor is “stronger,” we must treat them as one challenge and pursue integrated solutions that address both the climate and the land together.
When governments allow forests to be cleared, wetlands to be drained, and intensive farming to continue unchecked, that’s as damaging as rising global temperatures – yet it’s something we can directly act on. The EU Nature Restoration Law set an important precedent to protect European ecosystems, but when it comes to natural disasters, it appears that we are still more focused on crisis response over prevention. Why is that?
That’s one of the biggest challenges we face – the disconnect between the physical world and the political one. Nature operates according to physical laws; you can’t negotiate with physics or bargain with ecosystems. But politics is driven by interests, compromises, and competing narratives, which often delay the solutions we know are necessary.
The debate around the Nature Restoration Law illustrated this perfectly. Despite the overwhelming evidence that we need this legislation, the political process was extremely difficult, with strong resistance and misinformation campaigns along the way.
Fortunately, we succeeded in adopting the law, and it is one of the most powerful tools we now have to restore Europe’s natural resilience. But its success depends on implementation – not just in protected areas, but also across farmland, meadows, forests, and even urban landscapes. Every part of Europe’s territory needs to be restored to better withstand the climate extremes that are already upon us.
In your remarks in Parliament late 2025, you underlined that Europe’s water crisis goes beyond scarcity – it’s also about how we manage our landscapes. How can sustainable farming practices and nature-based solutions, like restoring rivers, forests, and wetlands, help rebuild the water cycle and make our regions more resilient to floods and droughts? And do you think the EU is doing enough – through the CAP or other policies – to support and incentivise this kind of water-smart land management?
Water is absolutely central to our survival – there is no life, no agriculture, no food security, and no industry without it. The challenges we face, whether droughts or floods, are all symptoms of a disrupted water cycle. And the best way to restore that balance is through nature itself.
Healthy ecosystems – forests, wetlands, floodplains – naturally regulate water. They hold it in the landscape when it’s abundant and release it gradually when it’s scarce. Wherever we’ve overexploited nature, we’ve lost this capacity, and that’s exactly where we see the worst water problems today.
So restoring nature is not just about biodiversity – it’s about water management, food security, and climate adaptation all at once.
As for the Common Agricultural Policy, there is still a lot to be done. Simplifying procedures for farmers is important, but we must ensure that “simplification” doesn’t become a synonym for deregulation. If we weaken the environmental safeguards that guide farming, we risk deepening the crisis.
Simplifying procedures for farmers is important, but we must ensure that “simplification” doesn’t become a synonym for deregulation.
This is a difficult moment politically. We see growing pressure from populist and far-right groups to roll back green policies. My concern is that if short-term politics win over science and long-term thinking, we’ll pay a much higher price later. We must keep our focus on evidence-based, preventive solutions.
What will it take to build a shared, cross-sector understanding of the integrated benefits of living landscapes? Why do discussions so often frame farming and conservation as opposing forces, rather than parts of the same system that support food, biodiversity, water security, and disaster resilience?
Unfortunately, too many still believe that maintaining the status quo in agriculture and land management is the safest path. But in a rapidly changing world, refusing to adapt is the greatest risk of all.
If we cling to outdated systems, we make them more vulnerable to the very forces we need to prepare for. True resilience means adaptation – and adaptation requires cooperation between farmers, conservationists, policymakers, and communities.
True resilience means adaptation – and adaptation requires cooperation between farmers, conservationists, policymakers, and communities.
A good policy is one that looks ahead. It prevents crises instead of merely reacting to them. It’s built on science, not short-term populism. Sadly, we still see attempts to bypass sound policy through populist shortcuts, and those never deliver lasting results.
Responsible leaders must stand against that trend. This is about the future – about protecting life itself. The sooner we recognise that healthy landscapes are the foundation of our security, the sooner we can begin to truly build resilience across Europe.