“Most of the trees planted are dead or about to die.” Why Cluj residents feel suffocated in the “5-star city”

The green dimension of Cluj, which the local administration talks about with such pomp, is decreasing from year to year. With practically every new project, the authorities get rid of a few trees, replacing them with others that often do not survive the “urban jungle”. The people of Cluj complain that they are suffocating more and more in the “5-star city”, the reason being not only the traffic, but also the lack of green spaces, new trees that show signs of poor “health”.

“You know how we keep complaining that there are no green spaces, that the ones that are are being destroyed, that trees are being cut in ignorance, be it necessary or not, etc. And you know how Cluj-Napoca City Hall keeps telling us that 2,400 trees have been planted in Cluj Napoca in 2023. And with all these wonderful trees on paper, we are suffocating harder and harder in the city.

Well, maybe the fact that most of the planted trees are dead or about to die, that they are full of lichen – a sign that they are in poor health, may add to this feeling of suffocation. I don’t think you have to be an expert in tree physiology to realize that if it doesn’t turn green, something is wrong with the tree.

These are just a few examples of recently planted trees, but I saw the same symptoms in those on Maniu, those on the banks of the Someș. Another sign of the competence of Mr. Osă’s administration, but this time he did even better leave it at that.” sent a Cluj for “Civic Cluj”.

Climate warming is increasingly endangering the existence of trees in cities, according to a large international study that tries to assess the risk to various urban tree species in the context of increasingly hot and drier years. And pollution affects urban green oases. In the current context, with more severe heat waves and too little precipitation, somewhere between 56 and 65% of tree species in cities are at risk, and by 2050, as warming trends continue, the share may rise to 68-76%. The heat stress experienced by trees will be felt by an increasing number of species.

Many cities are planting trees that cannot cope well with a warming climate, but wealthier cities can afford irrigation systems that partially compensate for declining rainfall.