Water crisis in Salzburg: Agriculture suffers from dryness!

Water crisis in Salzburg: Agriculture suffers from dryness!

Seekirchen, Österreich - In the past few months, the precipitation situation in Salzburg has changed dramatically. While the country has supplied the country in September, the precipitation has been significantly behind the normal values since October 2024. Meteorologist Josef Haselhofer from Geosphere Austria warns: "In the past 30 years in January and February, there has never been as little rainfall as we currently have", which particularly affects agriculture in the region. In contrast to the south, where the rainfall is a little more common, farmers in Flachgau face major challenges. This critical situation was extensively discussed by ORF Salzburg, where farmer Peter Forsthuber reports from a vegetable farm in Seekirchen that his water reservoir is not nearly filled because the rain fails to fail.

The problem is, however, more complex and could further tighten in March. According to Haselhofer, the groundwater level is still in an acceptable area, but this could change quickly with increasing temperatures and insufficient precipitation. When the vegetation consumes water in spring and the evaporation rate increases, serious care bottlenecks threaten. "This year I don't even have to leave out our bass because there is not enough rainwater," complains Forsthuber, who usually has enough rainwater to supply his approximately 120 families that are dependent on his vegetables.

scientific background

The regional precipitation patterns and their influences on the water balance are not only important for the affected farmers. Fach experts have extensive literature on the subjects of precipitation, evaporation and the importance of water supply in the agricultural economy. In this context, reference is often made to the work of scientists such as Beard and Craig, who deal in detail on the physical properties of precipitation and their effects on the climate. Another aspect is that despite the current drought in recent decades, such a low rainworthy value in this season has rarely been recorded, which draws attention to sustainable solutions.

The decreasing rainfalls are not only a temporary phenomenon, but could also have long -term consequences for water availability in agriculture. References to scientific analyzes underline the urgency of the problem and show that a rethink in resource use could be necessary to avoid future bottlenecks, as is shown in various specialist articles.