The water shortage in the Netherlands is caused by the hot weather and the lowering of the water levels of the big rivers. This summer, several European countries have suffered from a water shortage.
20:02•Updated 21:59
In the Netherlands, farmers are particularly affected by the water shortage.
Farmers’ water use is already restricted in many provinces. In some places, the use of surface water to irrigate fields is completely prohibited.
However, there is no danger of running out of drinking water. If water use had to be significantly restricted, households would have priority.
The water shortage is caused by hot and dry weather and the drop in the water level of rivers flowing from abroad.
The water level of the particularly important Rhine River and its tributaries has dropped so much that riverboat traffic has had to be reduced. The water level is expected to drop lower than in decades.
The drying up of the river is due to the fact that less water has flowed from Germany and Switzerland. The water level of Lake Constance, located on the border between Switzerland and Germany, threatens to drop to a record low.
Last year, river water levels were exceptionally high, leading to devastating floods. In the neighboring countries of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, hundreds of people died as a result of the floods.
Europe was plagued by drought this summer
Europe has suffered from drought in many places this summer.
For example, in the Pisa area, the use of drinking water for purposes other than household needs or personal hygiene is prohibited.
Up to 30 percent of Italy’s crops are at risk due to the drought.
According to the European Environment Agency, you should prepare for drought by reducing water use. The biggest water user is agriculture, which needs about 60 percent of the water.
Changed ground water to surface water in section 4.8 regarding the limitation of water use in agriculture. at 9:59 p.m.