From charred trees and blocked paths

Even though we as a society regularly forget: climate change is real! And not just in July and August - what a surprise! But shaped by an environment that at least ignores, but also regularly denies, human-induced climate change, it takes the brutal experience to let the urgency sink in.

If you have visited Pravčická brána (Prebischtor) or somewhere else in the Bohemian or Saxon Switzerland years ago and now want to take a trip from Hřensko again, you will not only see a lot of burnt forest, but also no longer be able to hike through the Edmundsklamm or take a raft. Other hiking trails in the Bohemian Switzerland are also closed - and for good reason, due to the extreme heat during the forest fire last year, the sandstone has become porous, the paths have partially slipped and there is a risk of rockfall or falling trees.

We must now expect droughts, extreme rainfall, and wildfires every year. The chances of averting climate change are slim - regardless of the 1.5 degree target.

The good news is that many people are working intensively to prepare society for these new challenges:

• Scientists are working on cost-effective and easy-to-produce forest fire early warning systems
• The state forests and civil society actors, such as the "Bergwaldprojekt", are converting hectares of forest to introduce climate-adapted tree species and make the forest as a whole more resilient to pests and drought
• Heat action plans are being created to make times of extreme heat more bearable in urban areas
• Flood protection measures, along with land use planning, roof and facade greening, help with heavy rainfall
• Nature and environmental organizations carry out practical projects and offer educational opportunities
• Volunteers have been trained as experts in fighting forest fires and now also train volunteer fire brigades
• Moors are being rewetted to bind CO2 and prevent smoldering peat fires

So a lot is already happening. But we must not forget that we have been working towards the climate crisis for generations. It will also be a multi-generational task to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It takes patience and long-term commitment - we simply cannot afford to renegotiate the priority of environmental protection and climate adaptation every four years. We need to learn again to live with nature instead of trying to dominate it. A good dose of humility and the realization that we are only guests on Earth would certainly do us good as a society.