Brussels: Climate change is intensifying the drought situation in Europe this year, as extreme heat leads to the evaporation of water supplies, according to scientists in a recent analysis. The analysis highlights how low water levels have disrupted shipping and farming in countries such as Romania and Greece.
According to Iraqi News Agency, numerous European countries are experiencing severe drought conditions this summer. France is facing the prospect of its smallest maize crop in 50 years, while Romania has imposed restrictions on farmers’ access to irrigation water. Additionally, the Netherlands declared a water shortage last week, and seven Greek islands have declared drought emergencies to conserve water resources.
The World Weather Attribution group of climate scientists conducted the analysis, which indicates that climate change is not directly responsible for the lack of rain during April to June this year. Instead, climate change has significantly contributed to extreme heat, which accelerates the evaporation of water from soils.
The analysis further reveals that conditions with high evaporation potential were 80 times more likely in western Europe and 40 times more likely in eastern Europe from January to June compared to pre-industrial times. Sarah Kew, a climate scientist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Service, emphasized that extreme heat is now the primary driver of drought across the continent.
Kew stated, “We are seeing water supplies evaporate out of our soils and rivers faster than we would have in a world without climate change, turning what would have been manageable dry spells into severe droughts.”
The findings suggest that climate change is altering the formation of droughts in Europe, with warmer air preventing rain from staying in the ground, thus playing a more significant role than the lack of rain itself.
The World Weather Attribution analysis concludes that agricultural soil droughts are now five times more likely in western Europe and 11 times more likely in eastern Europe due to climate change.