Romania at a Climate Crossroads: A Country Under Siege in November 2025

November 2025 finds Romania grappling with the consequences of an increasingly erratic and severe climate. What was once a predictable autumn has given way to a season of extremes. This month, the country is not only facing typical fogs and first frosts but also a dangerous alternation between late heatwaves that parch the soil and torrential rains causing flash floods in regions like western Transylvania or Moldavia. Sunflower and corn crops, already affected by a dry summer, are seeing their final harvest compromised, while internationally renowned vineyards are preparing for increasingly unpredictable winters. Climate change is no longer a future threat; it is a reality impacting the country’s economy and food security.

The energy crisis, worsened by the conflict in Ukraine, is deeply influenced by the climate variable. A persistent drought in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe has kept river flows, including the Danube’s, at historic lows. This has significantly reduced hydroelectric production capacity, a cornerstone of the Romanian energy system. At the same time, the demand for heating soars during the cold spells of late autumn, creating unprecedented pressure on the grid. The government is forced to weigh increasing coal burning, contradicting its commitments to the European Green Deal, or importing gas at exorbitant prices, a dilemma that strains national finances and poisons the air in cities like Bucharest.

In the majestic Carpathian ranges, the impact is visible and alarming. The already diminished glaciers continue to retreat, affecting long-term freshwater reserves. More immediate is the blow to tourism: ski resorts, like Poiana Brașov, watch with concern as scarce and late snowfalls delay the start of the season. The lack of natural snow forces a massive use of snow cannons, increasing costs and impacting local water resources. This pattern not only damages an industry vital to many communities but is also a tangible reminder of how a unique mountain ecosystem is being destabilized, with effects on biodiversity and the risk of flooding from premature thaw.

The climate crisis is also reshaping the geography of diseases and public health. Longer, hotter summers have allowed the northward expansion of invasive species, such as the tiger mosquito, increasing the risk of virus transmission like West Nile. Health authorities report a lengthening of the allergy season and a higher frequency of heat strokes among the vulnerable population during anomalously warm periods in November. The healthcare system, already under pressure, must now adapt to this new morbidity burden, a challenge requiring investment and planning on a scale for which many Eastern European countries are not yet fully prepared.

Faced with this panorama, Romania is torn between adaptation and opportunity. On one hand, it is one of the largest recipients of funds from the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism, aimed at transforming coal regions like the Jiu Valley. Wind and solar energy projects are flourishing in Dobrogea, near the Black Sea, harnessing a resource that climate change has made more intense: the wind. The green transition is advancing, but at a pace that may not be sufficient to counter the speed of environmental changes.

In short, in November 2025, Romania embodies Eastern Europe’s complex battle against climate change. It is a country of contrasts: between mountains without snow and flooding plains, between a fossil fuel heritage and a budding renewable energy future. Its ability to overcome political and economic inertia, accelerate its ecological transition, and strengthen its resilience will determine not only its own future but also the cohesion and climate security of the entire European Union. Time, in every sense of the word, is running out.