Extreme drought in Europe: The worst in 500 years

Extreme drought in Europe
The worst in 500 years

St James's Park, London, August 13th 2022

The current drought in Europe is on track to become the worst in 500 years.

The lack of rainfall during winter and spring meant that groundwater and river levels started low this summer, with sufficient rainfall now not expected until autumn.

This, amplified by the extremely high temperatures across the continent, has led to one of the worst droughts on record, according to experts at the European Drought Observatory.

The consequences

Reduced river runoff and river flow, which can impact aquatic ecology

Run-of-river (ROR) hydroelectricity also reduced; Italy for example has seen power production levels of 5039 GWh below normal

Hydropower reservoir levels affected

Low soil water content makes it harder for plants to extract water from the soil, leading to widespread stress on vegetation

Reduced crop harvest

Water resource management and restrictions

Several rivers drying up across Europe:

1/4

The Guadiana, Spain

What can be done?

Unfavorable forecasts over the coming months across Europe may compromise water supply and keep competition for this resource high.

The UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology, for example, suggests that sufficient rainfall may not occur until autumn. This means water resource management will be crucial over the coming months, to ensure a sustainable supply of good quality water.

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Whilst drought mitigation strategies are of utmost importance now, so is addressing the root cause of the problem: climate change and the disruption of the planet's water cycle.

Further efforts are also needed to adapt to changing weather patterns, by protecting the climate of energy supply and applying sustainable solutions in agriculture, says the EU's Joint Research Centre.

Irene Sans