Increasing drought threatens European countries

With increasing temperatures - notably in the summer months - many European rivers have been drying up, resulting in increased pressure for agriculture and water supplies amongst others.

Although there is a clear divide between the North and South of Europe, a loss of water from decreased rainfall and rising temperatures is increasing clean water scarcity as rivers are unable to dilute pollutants due to reduced rainfall, making the water unsuitable for human use.

Water management is key to combat the increasing challenges posed by drought, such as by predicting when droughts will take place and observing river levels. In Madrid, for example, Canal Isabel II - Madrid's water management company- ensures there are back-up water reserves in place as well as using models that can predict water availability, to allocate water accordingly.

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/03/flowing-low-how-can-europe-use-climate-information-to-manage-dry-river-spells