EU researchers also warned that the lack of water and strong heat are driving crop yields lower
BRUSSELS, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Researchers at the European Commission warned that nearly half of the EU’s territory is currently at risk of drought, as southwest Europe wilted under a punishing heatwave.
In a report for July, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre said that 46 percent of the EU’s territory was exposed to warning-level drought, with 11 percent at an alert level, with crops already suffering from the lack of water.
Italy was the hardest hit, with the Po River basin in the north of the country facing the highest level possible of drought severity, the EU said.
Drought emergency has been declared in five Italian regions and insufficient water availability has led to multiple use restrictions across municipalities. Similar measures to restrict water use have been taken in France.
In Spain, water reservoir volumes are currently 31 percent lower than the 10-year average, the report said, while in Portugal, water to produce hydroelectric energy is at half the average of the previous seven years. Both countries are experiencing conditions conducive to wildfires.
“Energy production from run-of-river plants until the beginning of July was lower than the 2015-2021 average for many European countries, notably in Italy (-5039 GWh compared to the average), France (-3930 GWh) and Portugal (-2244 GWh). The same decrease is true for hydropower reservoir levels, affecting countries such as Norway, Spain, Romania, Montenegro and Bulgaria, among others,” the European Commission said.
This lack of water is also reducing or suspending hydroelectric and thermoelectric power production operations across countries. In summary, drought conditions and water scarcity are affecting energy production and reducing crop yield.
The EU researchers also warned that the lack of water and strong heat are driving crop yields lower in France, Romania, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Weather forecasts predict more of the same, the report said, adding to an already “very critical situation” that will exacerbate the effects on agriculture, energy, and water supply. — NNN-AGENCIES
