The Water Crisis in European Nations

By: Jonas Wahlstedt

April 1, 2024

The water crisis is an ongoing and evolving situation. People often think of places in Africa, the Middle East, and developing countries when discussing this issue, but the water crisis is a global predicament that impacts considerable countries that have not historically faced water scarcity. Countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania have faced unprecedented droughts, causing them to implement usage restrictions, and forcing them to improve their aging infrastructure systems. By acknowledging and discussing the growing water crisis in developed and prosperous nations, more people will realize the time for action is now. 

A street in Venice.

Western European countries in the 19th and 20th centuries established reliable and high-quality infrastructure systems to supply their citizens with essential resources, including, of course, water. But recently, these countries have been facing unprecedented water crises due to climate change, growing populations, and lack of government oversight. For example, Italy, a country renowned for its ancient aqueduct system from the Roman Empire, hit an all-time low in available water resources in 2022 (Reuters, 2023). A combination of rising temperatures and lower rainfall essentially reduced freshwater supplies by 50% when compared to the previous 30-year average. 

Spain and Greece have similar situations, painting a grim picture for the future of Europe’s, and more specifically southern Europe’s, future regarding water scarcity. Barcelona and the Catalonia region of Spain recently faced its worst ever recorded drought in recent years, causing multiple water-saving rules to be implemented (Keeley, 2024). The emergency measures attempt to reduce the daily amount of water for residential purposes from 210 to 200 liters (55 to 53 gallons) per person. However, many people already fall below that limit, while hotels and other large businesses consistently exceed the limit. 

Andalusia, a region in southern Spain, is also struggling with the water crisis. The country has struggled with droughts for over six years, with 2022-2023 marking one of the driest periods (Zarza, 2024). At the start of 2024, Andalusia's reservoirs are operating at 1/5th of their capacity, which illustrates the unprecedented water crisis Spain is facing. Multiple other provinces such as Huelva, Cadiz, and Malaga, where most of the population of southern Spain is concentrated, are in a state of exceptional drought. Most of southern Spain and the Mediterranean regions of the country are struggling with droughts and water scarcity, raising concerns for the future (Ramirez, 2024). 

Greece has abundant water resources, but only in certain parts of the country. While western Greece receives ample rainfall every year, areas such as Attica, Thessalonica, and some southern Aegean Islands face long-term water shortages (Heggie, 2020). Unfortunately, growing climate change complications are poised to worsen the situation and make the difference between areas even more dramatic. It is predicted that by 2050 Greece could be nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer, and have approximately 20% less rainfall. On many of the islands, particularly Crete and Corinth city, groundwater is extracted faster than it is naturally recharged, draining natural supplies and allowing saltwater to contaminate the overall supply. 

The water crisis is a global issue affecting numerous countries. Nations in Europe, regions of North America, and East Asia are also struggling with it, as climate change and the growing population strain already finite resources. The water crisis should be addressed worldwide so that humanity can thrive for generations to come.

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References:

Heggie, J. (2020). Preventing a water crisis in Greece. [online] Science. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-where-our-water-goes-greece.

Italy’s water resources hit rock bottom in 2022. (2023). Reuters. [online] 7 Jul. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-water-resources-hit-rock-bottom-2022-2023-07-07/#:~:text=Dry%20spells%20have%20become%20increasingly.

Keeley, G. (2024). Worst drought ‘ever recorded’ hits Catalonia, sparking fears and ingenuity. [online] Al Jazeera. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/6/worst-drought-recorded-hits-spains-catalonia-sparking-fears-and-ingenuity.

Ramírez, M. (2024). What will Spain look like when it runs out of water? Barcelona is giving us a glimpse. The Guardian. [online] 15 Feb. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/15/spain-water-barcelona-farmers-tourism-catalonia-drought.

Zarza, F . (2024). Drought in Andalusia: coping with an escalating water crisis in Spain. [online] Smart Water Magazine. Available at: https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/smart-water-magazine/drought-andalusia-coping-escalating-water-crisis-spain#:~:text=The%20region%20has%20been%20enduring.