Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat
Extreme summer heat and drought conditions are causing severe environmental and economic damage across Europe, particularly impacting the fish farming industry. Countries are now struggling to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change-induced weather events.
Why it matters
The crisis highlights the growing threat of desertification and the vulnerability of food supply chains to climate-driven extreme weather.
Small boats stand idle on cracked ground in a shriveled side channel of the Danube River in northern Serbia, where the water has receded into a couple of shrinking ponds under pressure from extreme drought and heat. Fish circle in the shallow waters.
“This is all we have, these two little ponds that are full of juvenile fish,” fisherman Dusan Jovanovic said. He said the fish are in danger because there is too little water and its temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
“If they start to die, they will all die at once,” Jovanovic said.
Persistent drought and scorching heat this summer have ravaged ecosystems and businesses across the region, from a lake in Slovenia and the side channel of the Danube in Serbia, to fish farms in Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in