Water conflicts to intensify in Germany due to climate change – report

Increasing heatwaves and droughts in recent years have led to regional water scarcity and associated conflicts in Germany and the situation is set to intensify as climate change progresses, a report by the German Environment Agency (UBA) has found. The report looked at the current availability of water in Germany, as well as its future use prospects under climate change conditions.

“The availability of water in Germany will decrease in future under the influence of climate change, which may lead to the emergence of conflicts of use or exacerbate existing conflicts,” said the report. For example, conflicts occurred due to a lack of both surface water and groundwater, impaired drinking water supply, infrastructure problems, distribution issues, and water prices. Since 2015, the number of reported water usage conflicts has increased significantly, with most happening in the country’s northeast as well as along the Lower Rhine River.

Solution strategies and measures that could contribute to the anticipatory handling and avoidance of such conflicts include the promotion of water efficiency and water reuse, the implementation of adaptation measures, and the strengthening of cooperation between the various user groups, the authors found.

“In several regions of Germany, the growth of actually irrigated areas will need to be limited in the future to ensure that public water supply from groundwater can be guaranteed even in the second half of the 21st century during exceptionally dry decades without water scarcity occurring,” the report said.

Last year, Germany’s government adopted a National Water Strategy that aims to secure the country’s water reserves, take precautions against water shortages, prevent conflicts of use, tackle the backlog of water infrastructure repairs, and improve the condition of water bodies and water quality.