Heat wave rolls over Germany: water shortages and prohibitions threaten!

Heat wave rolls over Germany: water shortages and prohibitions threaten!

Jerichower Land, Deutschland - In Germany, the summer heat and persistent drought are in full swing. Temperatures of up to 39 ° C are already forecast on Wednesday, reports the Natemat.pl . In order to react to the existing situation, the German City Day Association called for the local authorities to take precautions. In particular, the impending water bottlenecks are pointed out, which are increasingly tightened by the drought.

A picture of the water lack is particularly evident in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Brandenburg, where restrictions on water withdrawal from lakes and rivers apply in several counties. In Baden-Württemberg, this affects the Biberach, Ravensburg, Alb-Donau and Lake Constance districts, which have introduced a strict ban on water until the middle of the month. The location is also tense in North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt as far as access to water sources is concerned.

Rio Grande on the Rhine

The effects of drought can also be felt on the important waterways in Germany. As the E-Petrol , shipping on the Rhine is severely restricted. The low water levels caused by the lack of precipitation in spring make a full load of cargo ships almost impossible. The section south of Duisburg and Cologne is particularly affected, where ships can only drive 40-50% of their standard load.

This delivery problem leads to the need to seek alternative transport routes, which endangers the production chains and causes additional costs. In the past, as during the crisis in the summer of 2022, shipping disorders have led to disorders in warning.

water management in focus

The water shortage in Germany is favored by various factors, as the Environmental Federal Agency . Climatic conditions, increasing water withdrawals for agriculture and water quality problems are essential challenges. Science has already developed recommendations for action for water management in order to counteract future bottlenecks.

In this context, the need for a comprehensive management of water resources is evident. Measures such as the promotion of water efficiency and the creation of a legal basis for reuse of water could be crucial to ensure availability in urban and rural areas. The possibility of taking regulative measures for irrigation, for example from green spaces, is also in the room to reduce the load on the water resources.