PRAGUE, April 29 – RIA Novosti. “Catastrophic” was named at a briefing on Wednesday, the climatic situation in the Czech Republic the head of the Ministry of environment Richard Brabec in connection with befell the country drought, according to the Minister – “the strongest in the last 500 years.”
“across the country we are missing 60% of precipitation in some of the individual edges, the figure is even sadder. The reason for water shortage is not only the low rainfall during the year, but the constantly rising temperature. Now in the Czech Republic is almost the same temperature that was 20 years ago much farther South, for example, in Croatia. The situation could be called catastrophic, as the current drought is the strongest in the last 500 years,” said Brabec.
According to the Minister, the drought usually began to make itself felt later in may, early June.
“this winter was almost snowless, if not to take into account the top of the mountains. Therefore, in mid-March, the agricultural workers started in full sound the alarm, fearing for the fate of the future harvest,” said Brabec.
Among the taken on the ground measures, for example, limiting water consumption in the settlements. In particular, some small towns and villages in South Moravia has restricted the water consumption to 100 liters per person per day, it is forbidden the use of pipe water for irrigation of backyard gardens and filling swimming pools. Employees of the University in Brno have developed a device for use in drainage systems to retain water in dry soil. Built special channels for the supply of water from rivers to the fields.
the Minister cited as an example the situation on the river Labe (Elbe) in the town of ústí nad Labem, where the water depth is now about 1.5 meters, which is almost half the normal level. Among other things, it poses a threat to industrial and commercial navigation on the river, which connects the Central part of the Czech Republic to Hamburg in Northern Germany. Even more difficult situation on the Vltava river in Prague and on the river Morava, some of the tributaries which simply dried up.
According to Brabec, the situation and possible measures to exit from it on Monday will be examined by the government.
