Could Europe Run Out of Water?

We think of water shortages as something we see on television from some remote corner of the developing world.
A lot of people heading for a rude shock.

Independent:

Europe is on the verge of a catastrophe as groundwater reserves dry up, scientists have warned.

During the summer months of 2018 and 2019, there was a severe water shortage in Central Europe.

Since then, there has been no significant rise in groundwater levels, which have remained constantly low.

The severe drought is damaging natural habitats, affecting agriculture and creating major energy shortages, a new study reveals.

The effects of this prolonged drought were evident in Europe during the summer of 2022.

Dry riverbeds and the slow disappearance of stagnant waters severely impacted both nature and people.

Numerous aquatic species lost their habitats, while dry soil caused many problems for agriculture.

The energy shortage in Europe also worsened as a result. Without sufficient amounts of cooling water, nuclear power plants in France struggled to generate enough electricity.

Hydroelectric power plants also struggled to fulfil their function due to the lack of water.

Sky News:

According to the European Drought Observatory, more than a third of the continent is currently under a drought warning, with 10% experiencing severe drought.

This has been going on in various forms since 2018 and it has been estimated that the total water loss across Europe is about 84 billion tonnes per year.

And a recent major study by a university in Austria suggested that Europe is now regularly losing much more groundwater than is being replaced by rainfall.

Torsten Mayer-Gürr, who is one of the study authors, said: “A few years ago, I would never have imagined that water would be a problem here in Europe …. Now it looks like we could face problems.”

In parts of France and much of Spain, water restrictions are in place.

Leaders of both countries have said that a lack of fresh water is a critical national issue.

In April when temperatures in southern Spain reached a record breaking 40c, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament: “The government of Spain and I are aware that the debate surrounding drought is going to be one of the central political and territorial debates of our country over the coming years.”

France’s President Emanuel Macron has launched a water crisis plan this year to conserve the precious resource after an unusually dry winter following the country’s worst drought on record left its reservoirs 80% below normal levels at the beginning of March.

In a speech he warned that climate change threatened the “end of the abundance of land and materials including water”.

The situation is causing conflict, with French environmentalists recently clashing with police over plans to build huge reservoirs to help commercial agriculture businesses keep crops alive.

In Portugal, drought has spread over 90% of the mainland, prompting the government to request EU aid for struggling farmers.

And in Germany the government is so worried about water security for Europe’s largest economy it has developed a national water strategy for the first time.