Latest news with #DietrichBorchardt
DW
5 days ago
- Climate
- DW
How Germany can cope with drought – DW – 05/31/2025
This spring was one of the driest on record. The dramatic lack of rainfall has serious consequences for Germany's agricultural sector, ecosystem and beyond. There's an old German saying that "a cool, wet May fills the farmer's barns and barrels." But this year there's no rain in sight. It's far too dry. There was less rain in the period from the beginning of February to mid-April 2025 than at any other time in the past 100 years. March saw almost 70% less precipitation than usual, and as many hours of sunshine as we usually only have in summer. The wildfire risk keeps rising as a result. Fires have already been reported this year in Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia. The level of Europe's most important inland waterway, the Rhine, was so low that cargo ships could only carry 25% of their usual load. Transport costs have noticeably increased, and experts have warned that consumer prices will rise as a result. The German Association of Towns and Cities, which represents the thousands of local authorities, has called on people to conserve drinking water. Exceptionally dry soil The situation is worst in the north and north-east of the country, and in parts of Bavaria. These show up as dark red blotches on the drought monitor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ). These indicate dryness deep into the soil, but it's the 25 centimeters of topsoil that are exceptionally dry. "The topsoil is especially important for the agricultural sector, and for cereal crops and grasses, which have very shallow roots," explains Professor Dietrich Borchardt of the UFZ. Both the German Weather Service and the Federal Environment Agency confirm that increasing global warming means that this is going to happen more and more often. Amber warning for groundwater Experts explain how alarming this is. When soil is dry, it repels water — just as water will simply run off if you try to water a dried-out pot plant. This means that even if rain does fall, it has difficulty soaking into the ground. The problem is exacerbated if it rains hard. "Heavy rainfall events contribute virtually nothing to recharging the groundwater," Borchardt explains. "In drought, the rain is effectively falling on sealed surfaces, because when the soil is parched the water runs off superficially into streams and rivers." The dryness of the past few months has been particularly disastrous for groundwater. As Borchardt explains, it mainly builds up between November and March, a time when plants are not yet growing and therefore don't need much water. "Groundwater levels at 80% of the measuring sites in Saxony are now conspicuously low," says Borchardt. "It's an amber warning." According to the UFZ, just one day of gentle, steady rain is enough to moisten the ground again, at least temporarily. But several weeks of continuous rain are needed if it is to trickle down to the groundwater. And, as Borchardt warns, it needs to rain soon: "If we get rain in the summer, scarcely a drop of it will go into the groundwater." Plants in drought stress Nature now urgently needs rain. "This is the time when plants want to sprout and blossom, and for that, of course, they need water," says Verena Graichen of the environmental organization BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany). If they don't get it, they suffer drought stress early on, as is already happening with shallow-rooted trees like birches. Graichen says this makes the plants more susceptible to pests and storms, and creates a vicious circle: "When woods or marshland are weakened by drought stress, they can't absorb as much carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes to climate change. If it doesn't rain soon, agriculture in particular will suffer. "What would really put the plants under stress would be a drought in early summer, when fruits are starting to form," warns Meike Mieke of the farmers' association in the state of Brandenburg. "That would mean things really getting bad for farmers. Right now, we're just hoping it'll all work out." But the German Weather Service forecast is not encouraging — it predicts that soil moisture will continue to decrease. Germany's water consumption is officially measured: When more than 20% of the water that naturally regenerates over the course of a year has been used, the country is said to be in water stress. The statistics are encouraging in this regard: In recent decades, water consumption has continuously dropped. Just under 10% of the resource was used in 2022. The problem of low water levels The figures show that the largest quantity of water is used by the energy sector. In 2022, 6.6 billion liters of river water were diverted to cool thermal power stations, according to the Federal Statistical Office. However, this water is returned to the waterways virtually unaltered. Low river levels are a problem for power stations, Borchardt explains. Power generation had to be curbed during the extreme drought in the summer of 2018. Supply chains at risk as Rhine dries up To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's energy transition brings a ray of hope, because more and more thermal power stations are being decommissioned. "The transformation of the energy supply to renewable sources means that by the middle of this century we will hardly have any need for cooling," says Bernd Kirschbaum of the Federal Environment Agency. One of the bonuses of green energy is that solar and wind power plants don't need to be cooled. In second place is the supply of drinking water. A lot of water also goes to the manufacturing sector: Around five billion liters of river and ground water are used by the chemical and metal industries and in the production of paper. Here, too, the majority of water is used for cooling. There will also be an increasing need for water to cool computer server centers in future. Enough rain for the agricultural sector So far, there has been enough rain this year for the agricultural sector. Only a tiny surface area currently requires watering. Vicious circle: When there is less rainfall, more water has to be used to irrigate crops, further depleting the groundwater Image: Patrick Pleul/dpa/picture alliance The problem is that, as climate change advances, this will change. It is predicted that we will need up to four times as much water in order to grow food crops by the end of the century — because less rain will fall, and also because the hotter it gets, the faster water evaporates. "In other words, we can no longer assume that there will be enough water to cover all our needs," says Borchardt. How can we save water? If periods of drought are going to be more and more frequent, who will be able to save water in future, and how? "The most important thing is water retention on land," says Bernd Kirschbaum. One way of retaining water is by allowing rivers, woods and meadows to take up more space. "A river with a meandering course takes up more water when it rains and retreats when it's dry, is much better able to hold the water in the landscape," explains the environmentalist Verena Graichen. In urban areas, unsealing and greening surfaces can help water drain into the ground. Kirschbaum thinks there is also considerable potential for businesses to save water. "Rainwater can be collected on large operating areas and roofs. It can be treated by passing it through specific filters, then reused in technical processes as process water. The same can be done with the wastewater that these companies produce." Graichen also suggests that the agriculture sector should invest in drip irrigation and drought-resistant plants: "Chickpeas and lentils can cope with less water than you need for berries." This article has been translated from German.
DW
6 days ago
- Climate
- DW
Germany forced to deal with drought – DW – 05/31/2025
This spring was one of the driest on record. The dramatic lack of rainfall has serious consequences for Germany's agricultural sector, ecosystem and beyond. There's an old German saying that "a cool, wet May fills the farmer's barns and barrels." But this year there's no rain in sight. It's far too dry. There was less rain in the period from the beginning of February to mid-April 2025 than at any other time in the past 100 years. March saw almost 70% less precipitation than usual, and as many hours of sunshine as we usually only have in summer. The wildfire risk keeps rising as a result. Fires have already been reported this year in Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia. The level of Europe's most important inland waterway, the Rhine, was so low that cargo ships could only carry 25% of their usual load. Transport costs have noticeably increased, and experts have warned that consumer prices will rise as a result. The German Association of Towns and Cities, which represents the thousands of local authorities, has called on people to conserve drinking water. Exceptionally dry soil The situation is worst in the north and north-east of the country, and in parts of Bavaria. These show up as dark red blotches on the drought monitor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ). These indicate dryness deep into the soil, but it's the 25 centimeters of topsoil that are exceptionally dry. "The topsoil is especially important for the agricultural sector, and for cereal crops and grasses, which have very shallow roots," explains Professor Dietrich Borchardt of the UFZ. Both the German Weather Service and the Federal Environment Agency confirm that increasing global warming means that this is going to happen more and more often. Amber warning for groundwater Experts explain how alarming this is. When soil is dry, it repels water — just as water will simply run off if you try to water a dried-out pot plant. This means that even if rain does fall, it has difficulty soaking into the ground. The problem is exacerbated if it rains hard. "Heavy rainfall events contribute virtually nothing to recharging the groundwater," Borchardt explains. "In drought, the rain is effectively falling on sealed surfaces, because when the soil is parched the water runs off superficially into streams and rivers." The dryness of the past few months has been particularly disastrous for groundwater. As Borchardt explains, it mainly builds up between November and March, a time when plants are not yet growing and therefore don't need much water. "Groundwater levels at 80% of the measuring sites in Saxony are now conspicuously low," says Borchardt. "It's an amber warning." According to the UFZ, just one day of gentle, steady rain is enough to moisten the ground again, at least temporarily. But several weeks of continuous rain are needed if it is to trickle down to the groundwater. And, as Borchardt warns, it needs to rain soon: "If we get rain in the summer, scarcely a drop of it will go into the groundwater." Plants in drought stress Nature now urgently needs rain. "This is the time when plants want to sprout and blossom, and for that, of course, they need water," says Verena Graichen of the environmental organization BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany). If they don't get it, they suffer drought stress early on, as is already happening with shallow-rooted trees like birches. Graichen says this makes the plants more susceptible to pests and storms, and creates a vicious circle: "When woods or marshland are weakened by drought stress, they can't absorb as much carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes to climate change. If it doesn't rain soon, agriculture in particular will suffer. "What would really put the plants under stress would be a drought in early summer, when fruits are starting to form," warns Meike Mieke of the farmers' association in the state of Brandenburg. "That would mean things really getting bad for farmers. Right now, we're just hoping it'll all work out." But the German Weather Service forecast is not encouraging — it predicts that soil moisture will continue to decrease. Germany's water consumption is officially measured: When more than 20% of the water that naturally regenerates over the course of a year has been used, the country is said to be in water stress. The statistics are encouraging in this regard: In recent decades, water consumption has continuously dropped. Just under 10% of the resource was used in 2022. The problem of low water levels The figures show that the largest quantity of water is used by the energy sector. In 2022, 6.6 billion liters of river water were diverted to cool thermal power stations, according to the Federal Statistical Office. However, this water is returned to the waterways virtually unaltered. Low river levels are a problem for power stations, Borchardt explains. Power generation had to be curbed during the extreme drought in the summer of 2018. Supply chains at risk as Rhine dries up To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's energy transition brings a ray of hope, because more and more thermal power stations are being decommissioned. "The transformation of the energy supply to renewable sources means that by the middle of this century we will hardly have any need for cooling," says Bernd Kirschbaum of the Federal Environment Agency. One of the bonuses of green energy is that solar and wind power plants don't need to be cooled. In second place is the supply of drinking water. A lot of water also goes to the manufacturing sector: Around five billion liters of river and ground water are used by the chemical and metal industries and in the production of paper. Here, too, the majority of water is used for cooling. There will also be an increasing need for water to cool computer server centers in future. Enough rain for the agricultural sector So far, there has been enough rain this year for the agricultural sector. Only a tiny surface area currently requires watering. Vicious circle: When there is less rainfall, more water has to be used to irrigate crops, further depleting the groundwater Image: Patrick Pleul/dpa/picture alliance The problem is that, as climate change advances, this will change. It is predicted that we will need up to four times as much water in order to grow food crops by the end of the century — because less rain will fall, and also because the hotter it gets, the faster water evaporates. "In other words, we can no longer assume that there will be enough water to cover all our needs," says Borchardt. How can we save water? If periods of drought are going to be more and more frequent, who will be able to save water in future, and how? "The most important thing is water retention on land," says Bernd Kirschbaum. One way of retaining water is by allowing rivers, woods and meadows to take up more space. "A river with a meandering course takes up more water when it rains and retreats when it's dry, is much better able to hold the water in the landscape," explains the environmentalist Verena Graichen. In urban areas, unsealing and greening surfaces can help water drain into the ground. Kirschbaum thinks there is also considerable potential for businesses to save water. "Rainwater can be collected on large operating areas and roofs. It can be treated by passing it through specific filters, then reused in technical processes as process water. The same can be done with the wastewater that these companies produce." Graichen also suggests that the agriculture sector should invest in drip irrigation and drought-resistant plants: "Chickpeas and lentils can cope with less water than you need for berries." This article has been translated from German.
DW
31-05-2025
- Climate
- DW
Not enough rain: How can Germany cope with drought? – DW – 05/31/2025
This spring was one of the driest on record in Germany. Agriculture, groundwater, and even retail prices are suffering. Plants and ecosystems are already in drought stress. What can be done? There's an old German saying that "a cool, wet May fills the farmer's barns and barrels." But this year there's no rain in sight. It's far too dry. There was less rain in the period from the beginning of February to mid-April 2025 than at any other time in the past 100 years. March saw almost 70% less precipitation than usual, and as many hours of sunshine as we usually only have in summer. The wildfire risk keeps rising as a result. Fires have already been reported this year in Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia. The level of Europe's most important inland waterway, the Rhine, was so low that cargo ships could only carry 25% of their usual load. Transport costs have noticeably increased, and experts have warned that consumer prices will rise as a result. The German Association of Towns and Cities, which represents the thousands of local authorities, has called on people to conserve drinking water. Exceptionally dry soil The situation is worst in the north and north-east of the country, and in parts of Bavaria. These show up as dark red blotches on the drought monitor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ). These indicate dryness deep into the soil, but it's the 25 centimeters of topsoil that are exceptionally dry. "The topsoil is especially important for the agricultural sector, and for cereal crops and grasses, which have very shallow roots," explains Professor Dietrich Borchardt of the UFZ. Both the German Weather Service and the Federal Environment Agency confirm that increasing global warming means that this is going to happen more and more often. Amber warning for groundwater Experts explain how alarming this is. When soil is dry, it repels water — just as water will simply run off if you try to water a dried-out pot plant. This means that even if rain does fall, it has difficulty soaking into the ground. The problem is exacerbated if it rains hard. "Heavy rainfall events contribute virtually nothing to recharging the groundwater," Borchardt explains. "In drought, the rain is effectively falling on sealed surfaces, because when the soil is parched the water runs off superficially into streams and rivers." The dryness of the past few months has been particularly disastrous for groundwater. As Borchardt explains, it mainly builds up between November and March, a time when plants are not yet growing and therefore don't need much water. "Groundwater levels at 80% of the measuring sites in Saxony are now conspicuously low," says Borchardt. "It's an amber warning." According to the UFZ, just one day of gentle, steady rain is enough to moisten the ground again, at least temporarily. But several weeks of continuous rain are needed if it is to trickle down to the groundwater. And, as Borchardt warns, it needs to rain soon: "If we get rain in the summer, scarcely a drop of it will go into the groundwater." Plants in drought stress Nature now urgently needs rain. "This is the time when plants want to sprout and blossom, and for that, of course, they need water," says Verena Graichen of the environmental organization BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany). If they don't get it, they suffer drought stress early on, as is already happening with shallow-rooted trees like birches. Graichen says this makes the plants more susceptible to pests and storms, and creates a vicious circle: "When woods or marshland are weakened by drought stress, they can't absorb as much carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes to climate change. If it doesn't rain soon, agriculture in particular will suffer. "What would really put the plants under stress would be a drought in early summer, when fruits are starting to form," warns Meike Mieke of the farmers' association in the state of Brandenburg. "That would mean things really getting bad for farmers. Right now, we're just hoping it'll all work out." But the German Weather Service forecast is not encouraging — it predicts that soil moisture will continue to decrease. Germany's water consumption is officially measured: When more than 20% of the water that naturally regenerates over the course of a year has been used, the country is said to be in water stress. The statistics are encouraging in this regard: In recent decades, water consumption has continuously dropped. Just under 10% of the resource was used in 2022. The problem of low water levels The figures show that the largest quantity of water is used by the energy sector. In 2022, 6.6 billion liters of river water were diverted to cool thermal power stations, according to the Federal Statistical Office. However, this water is returned to the waterways virtually unaltered. Low river levels are a problem for power stations, Borchardt explains. Power generation had to be curbed during the extreme drought in the summer of 2018. Supply chains at risk as Rhine dries up To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's energy transition brings a ray of hope, because more and more thermal power stations are being decommissioned. "The transformation of the energy supply to renewable sources means that by the middle of this century we will hardly have any need for cooling," says Bernd Kirschbaum of the Federal Environment Agency. One of the bonuses of green energy is that solar and wind power plants don't need to be cooled. In second place is the supply of drinking water. A lot of water also goes to the manufacturing sector: Around five billion liters of river and ground water are used by the chemical and metal industries and in the production of paper. Here, too, the majority of water is used for cooling. There will also be an increasing need for water to cool computer server centers in future. Enough rain for the agricultural sector So far, there has been enough rain this year for the agricultural sector. Only a tiny surface area currently requires watering. Vicious circle: When there is less rainfall, more water has to be used to irrigate crops, further depleting the groundwater Image: Patrick Pleul/dpa/picture alliance The problem is that, as climate change advances, this will change. It is predicted that we will need up to four times as much water in order to grow food crops by the end of the century — because less rain will fall, and also because the hotter it gets, the faster water evaporates. "In other words, we can no longer assume that there will be enough water to cover all our needs," says Borchardt. How can we save water? If periods of drought are going to be more and more frequent, who will be able to save water in future, and how? "The most important thing is water retention on land," says Bernd Kirschbaum. One way of retaining water is by allowing rivers, woods and meadows to take up more space. "A river with a meandering course takes up more water when it rains and retreats when it's dry, is much better able to hold the water in the landscape," explains the environmentalist Verena Graichen. In urban areas, unsealing and greening surfaces can help water drain into the ground. Kirschbaum thinks there is also considerable potential for businesses to save water. "Rainwater can be collected on large operating areas and roofs. It can be treated by passing it through specific filters, then reused in technical processes as process water. The same can be done with the wastewater that these companies produce." Graichen also suggests that the agriculture sector should invest in drip irrigation and drought-resistant plants: "Chickpeas and lentils can cope with less water than you need for berries." This article has been translated from German.
Local Germany
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Local Germany
Do I need to prepare for water shortages in Germany this summer?
While parts of southern Europe, like Spain , have seen entirely too much rain in recent weeks, Germany has been having one of the driest springs on record. The lack of rain has meant a number of warm and sunny weekends early on this year – downright enjoyable weather for picnic goers and early spring hikers and campers. But it also means that Germany's arable land is parched, its rivers are running low and wildfire risk is already rising. If the drought continues to intensify through the summer, some regions could see water resources run low by the end of the summer and the economic impacts would be significant. How dry is it? From the beginning of February to mid-April, Germany had not seen so little rainfall since 1931, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). If May remains mostly rain-free, it could be the driest spring since weather records began in 1881. DWD notes the driest spring to date was in 1893 when only 85.3 millimetres of precipitation fell. That's followed by the spring of 2011 with 89.5 millimetres. In March and April of this year, 47.3 millimetres have fallen throughout Germany, and in May so far about 13 millimetres were added, according to DWD data. Without further precipitation, the total would add up to about 60 millimetres – a strikingly scarce amount of water. Experts aren't calling it a record breaking drought just yet – some weather models are calling for increased precipitation toward the end of this month, and the verdict is out on whether this summer will bring further drought or maybe more intense rain. Advertisement But no matter how you look at it, this year has been remarkably dry so far. It can be seen as yet another example of how human-caused climate change is intensifying weather extremes in Germany and around the world. For many weeks, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig has been showing widespread drought in the topsoil up to a depth of 25 centimetres, especially in the north and east of Germany. "It is not unusual for the drought monitor to go deep into the red for a short time,' said Andreas Marx, head of the German drought monitor at UFZ, 'But it is unusual for it to have been red for so long now." Maps compiled by UFZ Drought Monitor based on data from the German Weather Service. Where is affected? As is seen in recent maps composed by the UFZ, virtually all of Germany is experiencing a rainfall deficit. But in parts of North Rhine Westphalia, Northern Hesse, Thuringia and Leipzig this was eased somewhat by recent rains. Advertisement In a recent interview with Focus Magazine , hydrologist Dr. Dietrich Borchardt, notes that currently regions in the Harz mountains, southern Hesse, Franconia and parts of Brandenburg are seeing exceptionally dry soils. The lack of rain is also affecting Germany's lakes and rivers. Lake Constance, typically known to be a beautiful summer vacation spot, is currently extremely low, for example. The Rhine River has also seen remarkably low levels this spring. The Rhine serves as an important shipping lane for Germany and central Europe, and by mid-April cargo ships were only able to be loaded to half-capacity due to low water levels south of Duisburg and Cologne. Following some rainfall in April, Reuters reported that ships were able to up their carrying capacities again. But more sustained rainfall is needed to keep water levels up. READ ALSO: 8 places in North Rhine-Westphalia to escape the heat this summer According to Borchardt, scarcity in drinking water resources is not likely in most of the country, but there could be restrictions in some municipalities due to insufficient storage or pumping capacities. Borchardt named Erkner, near Berlin, as one example of a place where there is an actual shortage of water resources. Is there anything I should do to prepare? A significant amount of Germany's water resources are used for 'drinking water'. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), around 4.67 billion cubic metres of drinking water was used in 2022 – that's compared to 6.59 billion cubic metres that was used in the energy sector or just over three billion cubic metres that was used for chemical manufacturing. Of the drinking water that was used, around 80 percent of it went to private households and small businesses, whereas around 20 percent went to large commercial buyers. So taking action to reduce your own water use can be a meaningful contribution to reducing water demand. A view of the Rhine in Oberkassel with the old town in the background. The water level here is at an historic low. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Rolf Vennenbernd When it comes to household water use, gardeners and pool owners use a lot. Finding ways to irrigate your garden more efficiently – for example with drip irrigation – can make a big difference. You may also consider how you plant and manage your garden. Whereas many gardeners sew sparse vegetable beds with lots of barren soil in between, it makes more sense to promote ground cover by planting more densely and use mulch or even allow weeds to fill in between. You can also use hedges or trees for shade to prevent the sun from drawing too much water from the soil. READ ALSO: From swamp to sponge - Berlin harnesses rain to adapt to climate shift Advertisement Also, Germany's Environmental Agency ( Umwelt Bundesamt ) recommends watering in the mornings or evenings instead of at midday. Taking shorter showers instead of baths and investing in water saving appliances at home can also help reduce your use.
