French forests: expanding area but a state of health deteriorating due to climate-related hazards (IGN)

News Tank Transitions - Brussels - News #456369 - Published on 08/10/26 at 09:00

Forests in mainland France and Corsica are still expanding, but their health is deteriorating due to climatic and health-related risks, according to the results of the national forest inventory, carried out by the IGN and published on 7 October 2026.

This annual assessment of the forests provides a measure of the impacts of climate change through a range of indicators such as area, timber volume, tree species, production, harvesting and mortality.

The IGN points out that these results do not yet take into account the consequences of the wildfires or the drought of 2026.

Thus, between 2021 and 2025, the analysis shows in particular that:
• Forest area continues to expand at an average rate of 100,000 hectares per year, covering a total of 17.7 million hectares — almost a third of the…


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