How to tackle water shortages in Europe?
The record-breaking heat in many European countries is also causing significant water shortages. Groundwater and river levels are dropping, the soil is drying out and vegetation is withering. Commentators voice concern, but also make clear recommendations.
A barometer of our vulnerability
Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini, member of the National Council of Switzerland for the Green Party, calls for concrete action In Le Temps:
“Water has become a barometer of our vulnerability. The glaciers are melting, droughts are becoming more severe, groundwater reserves are taking longer to replenish and the lakes are warming up. ... We must phase out fossil fuels and invest in public transport, active mobility, renewable energy and energy efficiency. At the same time, we must also prepare our country for the consequences that are already inevitable by protecting our forests and groundwater reserves. ... Working to preserve our water resources will also protect our health, our food security, our economy and our ability to cope with climate change.”
Water conservation now a necessity
The countries along the Danube must rethink their water management policies, Krónika insists:
“The Danube's record-low water levels are not a one-off, abstract or remote natural tragedy, but the moment when our comfortable lifestyle is already coming into direct conflict with physical reality. Water can no longer be taken for granted; it is one of the most important guarantees of survival – in individual, communal, economic and security terms. Water-retaining landscapes, technological adaptation and public awareness of the need for conservation are no longer merely 'green' fads or options, but an indispensable guarantee for our future.”
Drought exposes injustices
Water shortages are exacerbating the inequalities, according to The Guardian:
“Some of the injustices that have come to light in recent weeks are shocking in their predictability. Exemptions allowing golf courses and schools with large sports facilities to continue watering their lawns, whilst local authorities and households are prohibited from doing so, have caused justified outrage. ... Global warming will exacerbate existing patterns of inequality, but will also create new ones. Society and governments must prepare for both. This summer's drought highlights just how urgent this is.”