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The whole screen has a risk of water shortage in large parts of the country this summer. File image. Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP/TT
There is a risk of water shortage in large parts of Sweden this summer, announces Sweden’s geological survey (SGU).
-The starting point is not good, says Carl-Erik Hjerne, hydrogeologist at SGU, at a press conference.
SGU says that they see a development that points to low or very low levels of groundwater in Sweden in the future.
In four counties, Gotland, Kalmar, Blekinge and Skåne, there is a risk of water shortage today.
– It is likely that there will be more messages (if the risk of water scarcity) in the future if there is no wetter weather. We believe that there is an increased risk of consequences this summer, says Carl-Erik Hjerne.
The low groundwater levels, which underlie the risk of water shortage, depend on unusually little rainfall during the fall, winter and spring. The situation is most critical in southern Sweden.
– But it doesn’t have to apply to the entire counties. It may be in parts of the counties that there is an increased water shortage, says Hjerne.
What, as an individual, should you think about when there is a risk of water shortage? Carl-Erik Hjerne explains.
– As a local resident, you should pay extra attention to whether the municipality goes out with information (for example, irrigation ban). If you have your own well, you should think about how much water you use, because we do not know when the next big refill will be. If the normal weather becomes normal, it is conceivable that it will be September or October, he says.