Water shortage has devastating consequences in Germany
Warmer and drier: Germany is increasingly affected by climate change, as the German government's latest climate monitoring report shows. Adaptation is happening too slowly. Environment Minister Lemke speaks of the "devastating consequences of the climate crisis".
The consequences of global warming are worsening in this country: Germany is experiencing regular heatwaves, is getting warmer overall and is losing water. This is the conclusion of the German government's third climate monitoring report presented in Berlin. "The devastating consequences of the climate crisis are increasing to an alarming extent," explained Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke at the presentation. The report makes this "abundantly clear".
According to the report, the number of summers with severe heatwaves and unprecedented temperature records has increased. In July 2022, for example, a temperature of over 40 degrees was measured for the first time north of 53 degrees latitude in Hamburg. The past four years have also been characterized by severe regional droughts. According to the report, Germany is one of the regions with the highest water loss worldwide: since 2000, the country has lost 2.5 cubic kilometers, or 2.5 trillion liters of water per year.
The lack of water in turn leads to crop losses in agriculture and increased pressure on forests. Due to drought stress and the associated beetle infestation, the condition of the forest is reported to have deteriorated significantly. In 2020, 20 times as many spruce trees died as the average of the previous ten years. The extremely dry weather also led to significantly more and larger forest fires.
Measurable ecological consequences
According to the report, there are measurable ecological consequences associated with the warming of the environment and the loss of water: Both in the oceans and on land, there is a change in species composition. New species are migrating from warmer regions, such as the tiger mosquito as a carrier of pathogens.
"More and more storms, heavy rainfall, droughts and heatwaves are having an impact on people's health, ecosystems and the economy," explained Lemke about the report. The good news is that more and more local authorities are driving forward precautionary measures with concrete projects. The federal government is supporting them in this with the Climate Adaptation Act and several funding programs, among other things. At the same time, Lemke called for even more commitment: "In order to maintain the quality of life in Germany, we need to push ahead with climate adaptation."
Steffi Lemke, the German Environment Minister, acknowledged the "devastating consequences of the climate crisis" due to climate change, stating that they are escalating at an alarming rate. The country's third climate monitoring report highlights Germany's significant water loss, which has amounted to 2.5 cubic kilometers or 2.5 trillion liters per year since 2000, exacerbating issues in water supply.
Source: www.ntv.de
