From the front lines in Ukraine to otherwise rainy Belgium - an unusually dry spring has left large parts of Europe facing a serious shortage of rainfall. The early drought is raising concerns among farmers, industries and politicians, questioning the stability of supply chains and intensifying economic tensions already exacerbated by unpredictable US trade policy, writes Politico, reports News.bg.
According to the latest bulletin of the European Drought Observatory from mid-March, a number of regions are in the “warning“ (orange) category - including parts of Poland, Ukraine, Greece, the Balkans, Sweden, Ireland and Germany. The southern coast of Spain is already in the red zone, with critical levels of drought.
“The situation is serious, especially in central and eastern Europe“, said Andrea Toretti, the observatory's lead researcher. “The lack of rainfall has been going on for between 60 and 80 days now and the trend is accelerating.“
The expected consequences include failed agricultural campaigns, a sharp jump in grain prices and logistical difficulties - especially on the Rhine, which is now so shallow that ships are passing with less than half their normal load. This increases costs and delays deliveries.
In Germany, half the territory has been marked in dark red by the “Helmholtz“Institut - a sign of extremely dry topsoil, vital for spring crops.
Belgium is also reporting a serious deficit in precipitation - just 7.8 liters per square meter in Brussels between March 1 and early April, compared to a normal of around 50. For the time being, the country has good groundwater resources, unlike Eastern Europe, where last year's drought was not compensated for by winter rains or snow.
The situation is most worrying in Poland and Ukraine - two of the world's leading grain exporters. “A poor harvest could destabilize the global grain market”, warns agricultural expert Claes Nendel. Food security risks are also increasing due to the reduction in humanitarian aid from the United States.
The drought is also increasing the risk of fires - as early as early April, Liechtenstein and Austria reported a "high fire danger", and in Ukraine, military action is adding to the risk, as missile strikes often cause fires in dry fields and forests.
Paradoxically, while the continent suffers from a water deficit, the Canary Islands have declared a state of emergency due to floods caused by heavy rains.
All this puts the European Commission under increasing pressure to present its ambitious Water Resilience Strategy, expected in June. The document must respond to the new reality of climate change: too little or too much water - and at the most inopportune moment.