2023-04-18 14:54:49
drought in Europe
«We will not harvest a single grain this year»
As in the previous year, Italy and Spain, two of the most important grain producers in south-western Europe, are suffering from the effects of the drought. Meanwhile, the first major forest fire of the year is raging in France.
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Spanish farmer Daniel Trenado shows on Twitter how his crops have dried up. Peter Dynes from the environmental organization Meer.org speaks of a “super drought”.
Twitter/ ImSeudo
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About 60 percent of rural areas in Spain are affected by the extreme drought.
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In Italy, the water level in Lake Garda has halved compared to the previous year.
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In France, the first major forest fire of the year has destroyed more than 900 hectares of land.
“There is drought – and then there is super drought. 60 percent of rural areas in Spain are dry as bones »- says Peter Dynes from the environmental protection organization Meer.org. Dynes has been monitoring the development of water reservoirs in Europe for years. Spain worries him the most. But experts also fear a dramatic drought summer in Italy and France. An overview:
Spain
With more than 3.5 million hectares under cultivation, “we will not harvest a single grain this year,” explains farmer Daniel Trenado from Extremadura, one of the regions most affected by the lack of rainfall and which is considered “the breadbasket of Spain”. . On Twitter, Trenado shows pictures and videos of his dry fields, on which he had grown barley and peas, among other things.
In total, in four central and southern regions of the country – Andalusia, Extremadura, Castile-La Mancha and Murcia – the harvest of wheat and barley this year will be completely written off, in three other regions it will be severely affected, according to a report the Confederation of Farmers’ and Ranchers’ Organizations (COAG).
After three years of very low rainfall and high temperatures, Spain is officially in a long-term drought. The water reservoirs in Andalusia are only 30 percent full. In the regional capital of Seville, there is a risk of restrictions on the drinking water supply in summer if not enough rain falls by then.
Italy
The persistent drought and water shortage are also affecting Italy. The north of the Mediterranean country is particularly badly affected. Lake Garda, for example, is currently suffering from extremely low water levels. Compared to the previous year, the level has halved. According to the Comunità del Garda, it is currently 46 centimeters in the lake, which is popular with tourists – last year in the same period it was 99 centimeters.
As can be seen from photos and videos, the island of San Biagio, also known as Isola dei Conigli, in the largest inland body of water in Italy was already within walking distance at the beginning of the year. Due to the lack of water, a thin strip of land has formed between the small island and the mainland.
The Po, Italy’s largest river, has also been badly affected by water shortages. “Planting in the Po region traditionally begins in late February or early March, but at the moment the soil is too dry,” said Massimiliano Giansanti, head of the Italian agricultural association Confagricolutra, a few weeks ago. He warned: “The longer you wait to sow, the less you will be able to harvest.” Giansanti pointed out that “the situation might become dramatic in a few weeks”.
France
According to the authorities’ fears, large parts of France are facing a second drought summer due to a lack of rain. The groundwater level is currently below average in three quarters of the areas and in many cases low to very low, said the national geological service (BRGM). The groundwater reserves, which suffered from the hot and dry summer of last year, are insufficiently replenished, it was said.
France fears that the situation will deteriorate quickly if there is no meltwater in the mountains due to little snowfall and there is still too little rain overall. Farmers would then have to start irrigating their land in April, which further lowers the groundwater level.
In the south of the country, the first major forest fire of the year destroyed more than 900 hectares of land last weekend. The affected department of Pyrénées-Orientales is one of the regions that are particularly suffering from a lack of precipitation and drought as a result of climate change.
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