Germany is experiencing a drought summer. The consequences of the prolonged drought can be felt and seen in many places. And it’s not just affecting forests and agriculture. Drought can also be dangerous for us humans.
Falling water levels, empty stream beds, parched soil: the persistent drought is making life difficult for parts of Germany. Apart from the extreme north and southern Bavaria, the soil in many regions has been too dry for weeks, experts say. This not only favors forest fires that are difficult to contain, but also harms agriculture and nature. Some animal species are already suffering.
And relaxation is not in sight: “Individual cumulus clouds”, “free of precipitation”, “no end to the drought nationwide” – these words characterize the outlook of the German Weather Service (DWD) for the next few days.
The Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig describes the drought phenomenon as a statistically verified precipitation deficit that leads to pronounced dryness in the topsoil and deeper soil layers. Global warming plays an important role: “With every degree of temperature increase, the atmosphere can hold seven percent more water,” says DWD meteorologist Andreas Brömser. “So when it rains, it rains more – and at the same time it rains less often. There is a tendency towards long dry periods, which are interrupted by heavy rain.” However, during heavy rain, the soil cannot absorb the water as well, which is why the average soil moisture content falls.
Due to the drought, the levels of German waters are sometimes already reaching critical lows. More and more districts in Saxony, Thuringia and Hesse, among others, have therefore banned the withdrawal of water from rivers, lakes, streams and ponds, at least temporarily – fields and fields may no longer be irrigated with it, otherwise fines could be imposed.
“The water level in Frankfurt’s waters has been falling for weeks, and some streams have already dried up,” explains Rosemarie Heilig (Greens), head of the environmental department for Frankfurt am Main. The occasional precipitation and the persistent heat burdened the water bodies and the plants and creatures living in them. “We must protect this delicate ecosystem from additional and avoidable stressors.”
However, according to estimates by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), it is not to be expected that there will soon be no more water coming out of the tap in private households. Even if isolated exceptions are possible, the drinking water supply is guaranteed across the board. “We don’t have a water shortage in Germany,” assures Martin Weyand, the BDEW General Manager responsible for the water sector.
But bottlenecks can occur if too much water is used at once. “When it’s very hot, household needs increase by 40 to 60 percent,” said Weyand – for example for more frequent showers, lawn sprinkling or pools in the garden. “In the vast majority of regions, however, the capacities are sufficient even in hot periods.”
Persistent heat and drought are causing problems for many farmers. The President of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), Joachim Rukwied, points out that the distribution of precipitation in recent weeks has varied greatly from region to region – with corresponding effects on the grain harvest. For this summer, the association expects a total of only 41.2 million tons. That would be even less than in the previous year (42.3 million) and even well below the average for the years 2015 to 2020 of 44.2 million tons.
According to Rukwied, the water reserves in the ground are still far too low. Sufficient rainfall is also important in the coming weeks for the harvest of corn, potatoes and sugar beets. However, he currently does not see any restrictions in the supply of food, emphasizes the farmer president.
“The drought has massive effects on various ecosystems, which is why a wide variety of species are affected,” said Thomas Behrends from the Schleswig-Holstein Nature Conservation Union (Nabu). In addition to the aquatic habitats with their dragonflies, water beetles and caddis flies, meadows, pastures and heath habitats are also affected. According to the Federal Agency for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), rivers, lakes and floodplains in particular suffer from low water levels.
If the temperature in the waters rises above 25 degrees, there is a risk of fish dying. “The problem has already arrived in the Elbe near Hamburg, and it is imminent for the Main,” says BUND spokesman Daniel Jahn. The consequences are also serious for the forests. “Forests are threatened by forest fires nationwide and trees in the forests die nationwide individually, in groups or even across the country when the water reserves in the soil from the winter months are used up.”
Persistent drought alone does not trigger a fire, but it does encourage the spread of forest, vegetation and wildfires – as recently in Brandenburg and Saxony. According to fire brigade experts, the combination of severe drought and strong winds will further aggravate the situation in the next few days.
“It is to be feared that the situation could become even more dangerous than in the disaster year 2018,” said Ulrich Cimolino, chairman of the forest fire working group in the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) and vegetation fire expert at the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb), according to a statement. At that time, forest fires and drought in Europe caused damage of 3.9 billion dollars.
Some regions in Germany are again facing very warm to hot days. The DWD calls this “temporarily and locally” hot weather. According to a still uncertain forecast, July 19 could be the hottest day for the time being – DWD meteorologist Bernd Zeuschner predicts around 38 degrees for the south-west of Germany on this day. There are said to be isolated thunderstorms and showers in Germany – “but no end to the drought nationwide”.
