Half of Germany's districts under groundwater stress – report
Clean Energy Wire
Groundwater levels in half of Germany's districts are acutely endangered by excessive extraction and climate change, a report by the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) found. In 201 out of 401 districts and cities, mainly in eastern and northern Germany, water is extracted at a faster rate than it can be replenished, according to the report, which was commissioned by environmental NGO BUND.
Groundwater stress can result from a range of factors, including agricultural practices, mining, industry, drinking water needs and climate change, the authors wrote. They called for politicians to better protect water resources by creating incentives to reduce consumption; monitoring withdrawals in real time; resolving potential conflicts and clarifying who is allowed to extract how much water at times of shortages; and strengthening water reserves.
Water resources are under pressure in Germany, with times of too little water, for example, affecting navigability of the country's most important shipping route, the Rhine river, as well as impacting crop yields and damaging forests. The situation is set to intensify as climate change progresses, a 2024 report by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) found.
All the while, water use could increase in future, for example through the expansion of data centres in need of cooling, and battery and semiconductor factories. With its 2023 "water strategy", the German government aims to improve the resilience of the country’s water supply.
