Svenja Beller is a journalist specialised in long reads and science reports and writes the environmental policy column Forst und Wüste (Forest and Desert) for the weekly newspaper Der Freitag.

Since completing her traineeship at Greenpeace Magazin in 2012, Svenja Beller has been working as a freelance journalist for Das Magazin, The Guardian, Geo, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Science Notes, Die Zeit, among others. In 2017, she published her first book Einfach Loslaufen with Dumont. In 2024, she hosted the ocean podcast Feeling Blue. She has won several awards and scholarships for her work. She lives and works in Lisbon and is currently working on her second book, Kraken, forthcoming in 2025.

Svenja Beller studied journalism in Hanover and Buenos Aires.

Basic information

Name
Svenja Beller
Title
Journalist
Expertise
science, environmental policy
Country
Portugal
City
Lisbon
Links

Supported projects

Governance Failures Fuel Wildfire Crisis in Southern Europe

  • Climate
  • Environment

ATHENS/FARO/AGRIGENTO – Wildfires in Europe have become more frequent and devastating. From lagging prevention and disaster response in Greece, to the mismanagement and legal loopholes that in Italy fuel arson, to the post-wildfire economy in Spain that impedes ecological restoration, to Portugal's paper industry that hinder fire management for its own financial gain, this investigation sheds light on the reasons behind these disasters. 

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