Author: Shambhavi Anand is a 2nd year student at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal.
Introduction
Rivers are an essential component of our ecosystem, they support biodiversity, provide water for drinking and agriculture, and lastly have played a crucial role in transforming human history, culture and society. Water bodies across the globe form an indispensable part of our lives. However, the rising temperatures coupled with human exploitation have become a threat to them.
The majestic rivers are the lifeblood of Europe. However, the once-mighty rivers have been depleted this summer owing to the severe drought and historically high temperatures in the gruelling month of July, upending everything that residents of the nearby ports and cities had relied on for generations to survive. Numerous people who depend on water had negative effects as a result of the drought and water constraints. The dependents would suffer irreparable consequences if these rivers continue to dry up.
This unprecedented situation may further lead to consequences impacting the agricultural output, hydroelectricity, and the economy but more pertinently result in a major blow to the essentials of survival. It can further be apprehended that such devastation if not taken care of at its nascent stage might spread to other continents becoming a global concern. Thus, taking effective measures and avoiding such havoc is the need of the hour.
Drying Up of Rivers
Italy’s longest river Po has been shrinking in its width continuously. Moreover, the water has completely disappeared from some parts exposing the seabed while the water has completely evaporated from certain tributaries, the upstream of Turin being one of them. The source of the Thames in England has dried up for the first time. This made the latest utility company; Thames Water announce a hosepipe ban. The water level in the Danube dropped significantly by 1.5 meters and rain isn’t expected any time soon. The water level in Loire, France dropped so low that the river could be crossed on foot. The wildfires which raged in Europe for weeks have also led to the shrinking of some stretches of the Loire.[1] The four major rivers of the continent have been significantly impacted and with the increased heat waves, the situation is likely to exacerbate.
This drying up and subsequent water scarcity which had initially started in the European rivers have now plagued the rivers in other parts of the world, which include, The Colorado River in North America and the Yangtze in China.[2] These instances of drying up of rivers from across the world are an alarm for us to rise and realize that if left unattended, the worry at hand could soon become the new normal
Causes and Impact
The drought which has plagued the continent is claimed to be the worst in the last 500 years.[3] The severe evaporation is attributed to climate change and the lack of meaningful rainfall in the region. Climate change led to uneven temperatures which gave rise to jet streams and subsequent unstable weather patterns. Furthermore, record-breaking heat waves raged over various parts of Europe so fiercely that it led to the drying up of the river basins across the continent from June to August 2022.[4]
The continent thrives on its water bodies and their drying up has led to a major water scarcity problem impacting individuals and the EU’s economy at large. According to estimates, 20% of the European land and 30% of the European people are impacted by this water scarcity.[5] Italy declared a state of emergency in five northern regions due to extreme droughts and lack of rainfall in July 2022[6]. The drying up of Po has given chills to the agriculture sector as the river provides for Italy’s one-third of agricultural production. In light of the prevalent circumstances, the future of harvest is highly uncertain.
The scarcity of water is crippling agriculture in Europe. It has brought down sunflower production, further exacerbating the global cooking oil shortage.[7] Grain mills along the Rhine are likely to be shut down.
Besides this, the glorious rivers also play an important role in transportation and the fall in water level has become a nightmare for ships loaded with heavy cargo to navigate. Thus, trade of the countries is suffering as the cheap water transportation has to be replaced by already crowded means of transport, that is, the roads and railways which run on even more expensive fossil fuels. The epic drying of the Rhine which transports coal, diesel, oil, and commodities has given a blow to the energy sector. In France, the price of electricity has soared due to repeated outages of the nuclear power plant due to the shortage of cooling water.[8]
It is projected that this could even lead to knock-on effects for various industries in the next decade, particularly hydropower resources.
Policy Framework by the EU and other measures
Water, the basic necessity and essential for the survival of all living beings, is on the verge of becoming a major concern due to the prevalent circumstances. To tackle this menace, the EU policy established two major frameworks for the protection and sustainability of water resources based on a holistic approach namely, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)[9].
The Eastern La Mancha aquifer serves as an illustration of how cooperation between the major stakeholders (farmers, municipalities, and the river basin authorities) can lead to a more environmentally friendly usage of water. The collaboration includes a framework for resolving disputes, monitoring and data collection, and a clear definition of the agents. Another excellent example is the combination of increased water costs, accurate billing for the amount used, and water-saving technology that allowed Spain to save 25% more water for irrigation.[10]
The aforementioned directives and policies are necessary to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of water. Nevertheless, immediate policies and measures are required to be implemented by governments across Europe to prevent any further harm. In order to prevent further worsening of the situation, the governments from Portugal to Italy requested to use water to a bare minimum. A rainfall deficit was seen to be emanating across 11 European regions with the situation being worse in northern Italy. Owing to this a state of emergency was declared until the end of the year. For the same, the government plans to provide €36 million ($37 million) in the short term. Spain has also been extremely dry, forcing localities to take drastic measures like limiting the running water to a few hours per day. The municipalities deposited water buckets filled daily at five locations in a village, for emergencies.
Conclusion
The massive heatwave which struck the European continent and the subsequent drying up of river basins pose serious threats. These concerns if left unaddressed could soon lead to irrevocable damage to the individual and the eco-system at large. While businesses that deal with commodities with water-related risks should adopt measures to safeguard the water bodies and ensure that their use of water does not lead to abuse of the aquatic environment, individuals should also contribute their bit in preventing further exacerbation of climate change and pollution. The water and climate issues are inextricably intertwined in more ways than one. Due to the drying up of rivers and scarcity of water, every sphere is getting impacted. Frequent episodes of water shortages delineate that it is high time policymakers in Europe addressed this issue. And the drying rivers will not become a new normal in the future, because there will be no future for Europe, excessively dependent on its rivers, without rivers. The authorities and the masses should work together to prevent the concerns from aggravating and preserving nature’s most crucial water, from being depleted.
[1] https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/08/11/in-pictures-europes-mighty-rivers-are-drying-up-in-the-climate-driven-drought
[2]https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/11/us/iyw-how-to-help-our-rivers/index.html#:~:text=From%20the%20Colorado%20River%20to,brought%20on%20by%20climate%20change.
[3]https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/08/10/europes-drought-could-be-the-worst-in-500-years-warns-researcher
[4] https://www.copernicus.eu/en/news/news/observer-wrap-europes-summer-2022-heatwave
[5]https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/europes-groundwater#:~:text=Water%20stress%20already%20affects%2020,their%20services%20(EEA%202021).
[6]https://www.eitfood.eu/blog/water-scarcity-in-europe-is-the-food-system-a-cause-orcasualty#:~:text=With%20the%20combination%20of%20pollution,scarcity%20every%20year%20(9).
[7]https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2022/08/12/europe-s-supply-chain-agriculture-struggle-as-rivers-dry-up
[8] https://e360.yale.edu/features/europe-rivers-drought
[9]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/74/water-protection-and-management
[10]Effects of the Irrigation Modernization in Spain 2002–2015 | SpringerLink