Water shortage in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Red alert for the country and its people!

Water shortage in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Red alert for the country and its people!

In Germany, water is increasingly becoming a valuable commodity. According to a current study by BUND and ISOE, water stress can be found in every second district. This manifests itself in various forms, from acute groundwater stress with significantly falling water levels to structural stress where over 20% of newly formed groundwater is withdrawn. Regions with high population density, intensive agriculture and a strong industry are particularly affected [Nordkurier.de/regional/mecklenburg-vorpommern/hier-wird-in-mecklenburg-vorpommern-das-wasser-knapp-3681345].

In many areas, especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the challenges are serious. Here, districts such as northwest Mecklenburg suffer from acute water stress, while Vorpommern-Greifswald struggles with structural water stress. The situation is exacerbated by an increase in months with low rainfall and the associated increased risk of forest fires. In addition, the water quality is in many cases contaminated by pollutants such as nitrate, phosphate and pesticides Nordkurier.

Water quality in Europe

The challenges are not just a German problem, but affect all of Europe. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), only 37 percent of surface waters in the EU received a “good” or “very good” ecological status in 2021. In addition, only 29 percent meet the criteria for good chemical status. The main causes of the deterioration are strongly linked to industrial and agricultural chemicals entering the water bodies Europe Parliament.

The problems are not only noticeable in nature. Cities like Verona in Italy are already rationing drinking water. Rainfall in Germany has been low for weeks, leading to extremely low water levels in our rivers. This also has an impact on the economy, for example in the delivery of coal by ship on the Rhine or in the delivery of raw materials from companies such as BASF. The situation is critical [bpb].

Political measures required

In view of this dramatic development, BUND is calling for political measures to protect water resources. Among other things, water consumption should be generally reduced, and the introduction of a uniform set of rules for water abstraction fees is urgently needed. Real-time monitoring of water withdrawals and prioritization of water use for people and nature are further suggestions to strengthen water protection Nordkurier.

For our agriculture, the lack of water not only means crop failures, but also a direct impact on plant growth. Climate change further exacerbates these problems by causing both increased precipitation in winter and more intense heatwaves in summer. It is all the more important to take action now and both to improve the water quality and to secure the water supply sustainably [bpb](https://www.bpb.de/kurz-knapp/background-aktuell/512517/gravendes-wasser deficit-in-europa/).

The situation is more than worrying and requires immediate action. Only together can we ensure that future generations will still have clean and sufficient water.