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Alarming: 18 rivers in Austria suffer from massive water loss!
Greenpeace warns of drastic loss of water in 18 Austrian rivers. Climate crisis and lack of measures threaten ecosystems.
Alarming: 18 rivers in Austria suffer from massive water loss!
The environmental organization Greenpeace warns of alarming developments in terms of water resources in Austria. In a comprehensive analysis, over 78,000 measured values of 18 Austrian rivers were examined in the summer months to September. The results show a significant decline in the water flow in most of these rivers. A total of 15 out of 18 rivers have decreased since 1977, which illustrates the worrying situation, which is not only due to a changed precipitation, but also to increasing evaporation that has increased by 17 percent in the past 40 years.
The decline in some rivers is particularly dramatic. In the Pinka, for example, the average low levels have dropped by almost 60 percent, while the Strem has an average of 41 percent in the same period. The Lech in Vorarlberg also recorded a worrying location with 16 percent less water and the Rhine with 12 percent. The Danube has lost as much water within the period under consideration as the Mur leads.
causes and effects
The causes of this loss of water are diverse, but are strongly related to the climate crisis. Experts emphasize that the changes in the drains are not only related to the precipitation, but also to the evaporation and increasing temperatures. The temperature in Austria was about 3.1 degrees above the pre -industrial level in 2024, which destabilizes the water deposits and leads to more frequent extreme weather events.
These changes not only affect the ecosystems, but also have a significant impact on agriculture, drinking water supply, shipping and hydropower. The latter is the largest energy source in Austria with 61 percent of gross current generation. Greenpeace therefore calls for measures such as a transparent water withdrawal register and a robust water strategy for the renaturation of the rivers.
necessary measures
The EU has already specified a clear framework of action: The EU Redaturation Ordinance obliges Member States to put 20 percent of their ecosystems into a natural state by 2030. These requirements are of crucial importance for the Austrian water sector. The Ministry of Climate is planning to announce the ordinance for water withdrawals by 2026, and a study on water management is created in cooperation with scientists in order to document the effects of the climate crisis.
In order to master the challenges of water shortages and floods, integrated water resource management (IWRM) is of crucial importance. This aims to effectively manage water resources and soils and to take into account the demands of all interest groups without overgrading the environment. Nature-Based Solutions gain in importance to sustainably improve the water balance and to promote resilience compared to extreme weather events.
In summary, it can be seen that the current developments in Austria show an urgent need for action. Without suitable measures, the situation of water resources could remain critical in the coming years. The analysis of Greenpeace once again illustrates how important sustainable solutions are to ensure water availability for future generations and to proactively counteract the effects of climate change.For more information on the results of Greenpeace, read here: Kleine Zeitung , as well as GIZ