Description
Our project will focus on the significant decline of the health of pine forests in North Macedonia, a critical issue negatively impacting biodiversity, climate resilience, and the local economy. The investigation will combine scientific research with in-depth journalism, in our effort to uncover not only specific biotic causes (forest pests and diseases) for the pine forest decline, but also the role of corruption, illegal logging, and policy gaps as not less important aspects. By conducting new field surveys and laboratory analyses, the project aims to identify specific threats, fill key knowledge gaps, and present scientifically-supported evidence to the public and policymakers, advocating for urgent action to protect these essential natural resources.
“Our investigation will reveal the current state of pine decline at the national level, as well as the presence, scale and distribution of key threats. We will disseminate the results to all key stakeholders and the wider public, and accentuate the importance of implementation of urgent and long term control methods.” — Goran Mihajlovski, editor-in-chief
Journalistic outputs
Project Team
Media outlet
SDK.MK Digital Newsroom
Skopje, North Macedonia
www.sdk.mk
Goran Mihajlovski
Editor-in-chief
North Macedonia
Research organisation
Hans Em – Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering
Skopje, North Macedonia
www.sf.ukim.edu.mk
Kiril Sotirovski
PHD (Dr.), forest plant pathology; biological control of plant diseases
North Macedonia
