Severe droughts ‘could be the norm’ in the EU by 2050, experts say

The drought Europe is experiencing may develop into the norm by the center of the century until efficient, cross-border mitigation actions are shortly carried out, MEPs had been advised on Wednesday.

Repeated and extreme droughts would have vital impacts on a rising variety of financial actions together with agriculture, transport, vitality and healthcare, the European Parliament’s Committee on Atmosphere, Public well being and Meals Security (ENVI) heard from specialists.  

Andrea Toreti from the European Drought Observatory advised ENVI members that based on the company’s evaluation, the intense occasions Europe suffered by means of over the past summer season “would possibly develop into the norm” by 2050 “if efficient mitigation actions usually are not put in place.”

“These occasions are going to hit Europe virtually yearly,” he added.

The drought Europe is at present experiencing is believed to be the worst it has seen in 500 years with 64% of the continent’s territory now underneath drought circumstances, though to various levels.

“Extreme impacts have already been reported in a number of areas,” Toreti mentioned. 

‘European strategy wanted’

Agriculture is among the many sectors most impacted with the harvest of grain maize, soybean, sunflower and rice sharply down this 12 months.

However the drought, which began in late 2021 as a consequence of a robust decline in rain and snow precipitation within the earlier months and which was exasperated by a sequence of record-defying heatwaves that began as early as Might in some elements of Europe, has additionally put vital pressure on the transport and vitality sectors.

Transport on key waterways together with the Rhine and the Danube was perturbed over the summer season as a consequence of low water ranges which additionally impacted hydro and nuclear energy era.

Toreti burdened that “drought is a world phenomenon, is a risk and if we focus solely on Europe, we principally underestimate the chance” and mentioned that adaptation and mitigation measures should subsequently be carried out at completely different ranges, together with a “European strategy with enhanced cooperation”.

“Droughts do not know something about borders,” he mentioned.

However he added that “the principle danger comes from concurrent occasions as we’ve seen this 12 months”, i.e droughts and heatwaves. 

“We have now previously underestimated the chance linked with concurrent excessive occasions,” he advised MEPs. 

His requires an acceleration in adaptation and mitigation measures had been echoed by Hans Bruyninckx, govt director of the European Atmosphere Company (EEA).

“We’re witnessing various cross border dimensions (corresponding to) influence to infrastructure” and meals methods, he advised ENVI members.

“I believe it’s clear {that a} European strategy is required,” he added, emphasising that “lots of the coverage devices are already there however are sometimes missing in sturdy implementation and powerful connectivity between these insurance policies.”

Mediterranean agriculture underneath risk

On agriculture, he mentioned that “it is quite clear that there are completely different impacts relying on the area but in addition the kind of crop”, forecasting that as droughts and heatwaves develop into extra common and intense, “a part of the Mediterranean area will develop into problematic in terms of agriculture”.

Among the many adaptation and mitigation measures he listed to the committee had been utilizing completely different breeds of crops, enhancing irrigation methods, rolling out precision agriculture, and restoring soil and different ecosystems.

Nonetheless, he warned, local weather change represented “a meals system problem” for Europe.

Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner of Disaster Administration, in the meantime mentioned that “Europe not has adequate assets to battle its wildfires” in one other stark warning to ENVI members.

Greater than 750,000 hectares of EU forest had been burnt over this wildfire season, the very best tally noticed since data started in 2006.

“Europe has simply witnessed one of many worst wildfire seasons in latest reminiscence this summer season,” he mentioned.

“Clearly local weather change is bringing extra warmth and extended intervals of drought and because of this, the wildfire danger is spreading throughout all Europe and the fires have gotten extra frequent and extra intense.”

The Fee, he mentioned, has ready a four-point plan to arrange towards this elevated danger together with a fast ramp-up in firefighting capacities corresponding to planes and helicopters, the prepositioning of extra firefighters in areas notably susceptible to wildfires at first of the season and a greater prevention technique.