
Poland could face ‘serious water crisis’ in coming years as rivers dry up
According to experts, Poland risks a serious water crisis in the coming years as hundreds of rivers are drying up little by little in the country. With climate change, more frequent droughts and only brief and often violent rainstorms, the situation is reaching a critical threshold.
Contrary to popular belief, Poland, which is located at the confluence of oceanic and continental climate zones, has never had much water.
It receives less rainfall than countries further west, while the rate of evaporation is comparable. Warmer winters with less snow mean that groundwater is not being replenished by spring melts. And Poland captures little of this water, which experts say is a big part of the problem.
The result is that a vast strip of land across the country is slowly turning into steppe – semi-arid grass-covered plains, that threatens agriculture, forests and wildlife.
With climate change, more frequent droughts and only brief and often violent rainstorms, experts insist the situation is reaching a critical threshold.
Read more here from Climate Home News