It is still too early to make a weather forecast for the summer. But it is already far too dry compared to the average values. What is this leading to in the country?
Halle/Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - Saxony-Anhalt is preparing for a dry summer. There has already been less precipitation than usual this year, said a spokeswoman for the State Office for Environmental Protection (LAU) in Halle. Especially in spring, which is important from an agricultural point of view, there has been "far too little rain and the first damage has already occurred to the crops".
If the drought persists, the damage would be significant, according to the spokeswoman. So far, the groundwater levels have hardly been able to recover from the drought years of 2018 to 2020 and are still very low. The river levels were also approaching their lows again. If the water heats up too much as a result, its quality will also decrease and toxic blue-green algae could spread. In addition, this threatens the ecosystem in the water and may lead to a mass extinction of the fauna.
After all, the past dry years have shown that the water supply for the population works well even under extreme conditions and that the supply of drinking water is guaranteed, said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment. Restrictions are only to be expected locally.
In order to adapt to climate change, water management in Saxony-Anhalt must now be revised, said the spokesman. Accordingly, water should be held back to a greater extent in the area. The scope of water body maintenance must be expanded and "water retention in the area and the prevention of damage caused by dry weather periods caused by climate change must be strengthened".
Flora and fauna in particular have been groaning under the dry summers for years. The 2018-2020 heat killed thousands of aquatic life and killed trees due to stress. According to the Ministry of Environment, in the long term this can lead to a reduction in the stability of ecosystems and the loss of habitats, especially in forests.
