What Really Helps Europe Deal With Drought

Europe is running low on water. Hot summers and less rainfall — caused by burning fossil fuels — have left the continent's rivers, lakes, and soils very dry. Countries in Southern and Western Europe are hit the hardest, but scientists say the problem is spreading north. Experts warn that things could get even worse in the years ahead, and governments need to act now.

Drought is no longer just a problem for warm countries like Spain or Greece. Satellite data from this past August shows that even countries as far north as Denmark and Sweden experienced extremely dry conditions. Gisela Elsner, a climate policy expert at Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation, says drought risks have been expanding northward during the last decade. She adds that Central, Western, and Southeastern European countries are all becoming more at risk because of climate change.

The effects are easy to see. Major rivers like the Rhine and the Danube have dropped to record low levels, making it hard for ships to travel inland. Farmers from Germany to Ukraine have reported smaller harvests than usual. Towns across the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany have told people to cut back on how much water they use at home.

A weather pattern called El Niño is making things worse this year. El Niño weakens trade winds and warms parts of the Pacific Ocean, which affects weather around the world. Scientists say this year's El Niño is one of the strongest ever recorded. Experts predict that future years will be even hotter and drier as a result.

Most people think households use the most water, but that is not quite true. Private homes in Europe use only about 50 to 300 liters per person each day, which is less than 20% of all the water used. The biggest users are farms — mostly for watering crops — and power plants, which need large amounts of water to cool down their equipment.

In drought-prone countries like Greece, Turkey, and Spain, farming uses most of the nearly 2,000 liters of water withdrawn per person each day. In Eastern European countries like Bulgaria and Hungary, power plant cooling is the biggest factor. The Netherlands and Estonia also use between 1,000 and 2,000 liters per person daily, mainly for the same reason.

Experts say there is no single fix for Europe's water problem — countries need to try many things at once. A recent report from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) found that EU countries could save between 10% and 40% of the water they use each year by following smart strategies. The biggest gains, however, do not come from telling people to take shorter showers.

Switching to clean energy — like wind and solar power — is one of the most powerful steps countries can take. Nuclear plants, coal plants, and gas plants all need huge amounts of water to stay cool. Wind turbines and solar panels use almost no water at all. The EEA estimates that by expanding renewables and improving cooling systems, EU countries could cut water use for electricity by 45% to 95%.

In Southern Europe, changing how farms use water could also make a huge difference. The EEA report suggests replacing open water channels with closed pipes so less water is lost to evaporation during hot weather. Switching to sprinklers or drip irrigation — which delivers water directly to plant roots — can also cut farm water use sharply. Choosing crops that need less water is another helpful step.

Right now, about one in every four liters of clean drinking water in the EU is lost through leaky pipes before it even reaches a home or business. In Romania and Italy, more than 40% of treated water is lost this way. The EEA says fixing these leaks would deliver the biggest savings in the public water supply. This is a problem that governments can fix with the right investment.

Individual choices do matter, even if they are not the biggest piece of the puzzle. Using water-saving toilets, efficient washing machines, and dishwashers all help reduce household water use. Collecting rainwater for gardens is another good option. If every person in Europe made all these changes, it could cut household water use by 10% to 40% per person.

Europe is not the only region dealing with water shortages. Parts of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia have faced much higher levels of water stress for many years. Chip-making factories in Germany recently looked to Singapore for advice on reusing wastewater to cool their buildings. Elsner says Europe should borrow good ideas from other parts of the world.

The good news is that more people are paying attention to water issues than ever before. The EU did not even have a working group focused on water scarcity until 2022, but today that group has some of the highest participation of any EU team. Psomas hopes water policy becomes a bigger topic in elections and public debates. As he says, 'If a country runs low on water, it affects everyone.'