WITH some 10.7 million hectares of woodlands and forests, which is almost one-third of its total area, Germany has one of the biggest forest cover in Europe. From three per cent of land under timber in one district to 61 per cent in another, there are wide variations in the plantations. And Germany's timber reserves at 270 cubic meters per hectare, are among Europe's biggest. Germany's success in preserving its forests cover is an outcome of the awareness generated among the people after massive tree felling during the 19th century and the extensive destruction of its woodlands during the first and the second world wars. Also, the German government has taken legal steps for reduction in harmful emissions.

Important legislative instruments include the Federal Emission Act, ordinances on large and small-scale combustion plants and technical regulations limiting air pollution.