Dürre alarm in Germany: Water removal in many regions is prohibited!

Dürre alarm in Germany: Water removal in many regions is prohibited!

The continuing drought in Germany causes serious problems and increasingly intervenes in people's everyday life. Many federal states have already issued water withdrawal bans from rivers and lakes to protect the tight water resources. So the world of prohibited in several regions, among other things in Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia. Cities such as Cottbus and Bonn are particularly affected, where the water levels are critical.

The spring 2025 was a challenge for farmers and gardeners. According to the German Weather Service, it was the third dry spring since the start of the measurements, which also strained the already tense water resources. It has often been too warm in the past few months and hardly rained, which has not only affects the harvest, but also disturbs the growth of the plants. A bad business for agriculture, because lack of precipitation in the critical phases have a negative impact on the yields.

water withdrawal ban and its effects

In many counties, measures to take water have been taken. In Brandenburg, even in eight counties, the dispositions are in force and the situation is constantly being observed. According to ZDF , the drought can confirm an increasing drought that not only through locally weather-related dryness, but also by an overall German trend can be explained.

But not only the fields suffer from the drought. The waters in Germany are also affected. The level of rivers like the Rhine is alarming low, which endangers shipping and drinking water supply. Environmental associations warn of the ecological consequences that a persistent low water could bring. According to a recent study by the Joint Research Center, the drought also increases in other European countries, which indicates that this problem is not only locally but also global.

a call for caution

The responsible cities and counties ask the citizens to use water for economical use. After all, if there is a risk of up to 10,000 euros in the event of violations of the water withdrawal bans. The drought does not seem to be licked in the coming months, since the midsummer is still imminent. Man still has a certain game with nature, but how long remains to be seen. Researchers point out that extreme weather events increase through climate change, and Alex Marx from the Helmholtz Center emphasizes that the challenges of more environmentally friendly management are urgent.

The Saxony-Anhalt Dürremonitor shows that the parameters will be decisive for the classification of the drought warning levels in the coming summer. The current situation should serve as a wake -up call in order to promote not only national but also international solutions to combat the drought. The past few months have shown how important a balanced relationship between water balance and agricultural production is. A very tricky affair that affects both nature and the residents of Germany.