DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Drought alarms Europe, Danube at critical levels

2026-08-24 23:34:37Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Drought alarms Europe, Danube at critical levels
Danube at critical levels

Environmental experts and organizations hope that the Danube drought will serve as a wake-up call for EU policymakers, according to Politico.

The Danube, one of Europe's most important waterways, has recorded exceptionally low water levels this month, forcing governments to take emergency measures to maintain the river's functioning.

In Romania, authorities used explosives to change the riverbed and direct more water towards the Cernavoda nuclear power plant.

In Hungary, the government sank floating vessels in an attempt to maintain water flow near the Paks nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, about 180 tourists were evacuated from a ship that had become stranded near the port of Vidin.

The risk is great. The Danube is Europe's second longest river and a vital artery for the transport of goods, drinking water supply, agriculture and industry.

It is also used to cool nuclear power plants and supplies hydroelectric projects. The Danube basin spans 19 countries and supports the livelihoods of tens of millions of people.

But recurring droughts, driven by climate change, are increasingly threatening this system.

"Projections show that this will happen more often. We need to more systematically analyze water availability, water demand, and the capacity to conserve it and cope with crises," said Birgit Vogel, executive secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube.

Europe still lacks a unified policy

Despite drought becoming a recurring threat, the EU still lacks a unified and binding policy for dealing with water shortages on the Danube and other rivers.

Responsibilities are divided between national governments and river basin authorities, while management is based on a set of EU laws that, according to environmental organizations, are not uniformly implemented.

Many of the EU's new measures to increase climate resilience remain voluntary.

This has led states to take unilateral measures, which can have consequences for neighboring countries and ecosystems.

Bulgarian expert Dimiter Koumanov warned that states are taking emergency measures without always considering the consequences for other countries.

He particularly expressed concern about the impact these measures could have on the drinking water supply in Bulgaria.

Drought also threatens energy

"This summer has been another reminder that Europe is woefully unprepared for climate change," said Sara Johansson, a water policy expert at the European Environment Agency.

According to her, dry lands, degraded wetlands and damaged ecosystems are making the landscape increasingly vulnerable to fires, while rivers with low water levels have highlighted the weaknesses of the European energy system.

The Hungarian Paks nuclear power plant, which uses Danube water for cooling, provides about 40% of Hungary's electricity.

The Romanian Cernavoda power plant provides about 20% of the country's electricity.

This means that when the Danube level drops too much, countries not only face a water crisis, but also risk losing a significant portion of their energy production.

Hungary has begun construction of a dam-like structure on the riverbed to raise the water level near Paks.

WWF experts consider it a possible short-term measure, but warn that there is not yet enough information to assess its ecological consequences.

The structure could exacerbate water shortages downstream, as well as affect sediment transport, fish, and other aquatic organisms.

The EU has rules, but not a common response

The EU Water Framework Directive requires member states to protect and restore rivers, lakes and groundwater, and to cooperate in water management across the entire river basin and not just within national borders.

However, experts say the EU has failed to create a coordinated response to droughts, which are expected to become more frequent and intense.

Last year, a group of scientists called for the adoption of a European Drought Directive, with the aim of harmonizing and enforcing risk management policies across Europe.

The EU has also presented a Water Resilience Strategy, with around 50 measures to increase water security.

However, the guidelines that the European Commission intends to give to countries for drafting drought management plans are not binding.

Meanwhile, the EU aims to have 25,000 kilometers of free-flowing rivers by 2030, without artificial barriers such as hydroelectric dams.

Even this objective, according to experts, depends largely on the will of the member states.

The European Commission is also preparing to review the Water Framework Directive, while environmental organizations warn that existing rules are not being applied uniformly.

European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, said it is necessary to increase preparedness in all directions, adding that the EU should assess whether current water legislation is still adequate to cope with droughts, water crises and water reuse.

Experts warn that without a more coordinated European approach, future water crises could cause problems not only for the environment, but also for energy, agriculture, transport and drinking water supplies.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×