Southern and Eastern European farmers are facing even hotter temperatures, water shortages and smaller harvests in agriculture and horticulture. In Spain, Italy and Greece, water for agricultural irrigation has already fallen to a quarter of the average supply, and in Sicily the population has even been rationed.
Scientists in Brussels are reporting agricultural droughts, with plants and crops showing signs of stress, across large parts of the Mediterranean. This is particularly affecting central and southern Italy, northwestern Spain, Greece and central-western Turkey. These conditions are also spreading to Ukraine, Romania and southern Russia.
In contrast, Central and Western Europe experienced wetter than average summer conditions, with parts of France and Germany experiencing extremely high rainfall and humid conditions, which can also damage crops through fungus. The Western Alps and surrounding areas also suffered negative effects on vegetation due to extremely wet conditions, late vegetative growth and delayed planting.
The European investigation highlights that “information from various sources shows that water basins in Sicily are below the alert level, with volumes 45% lower than the previous year, with serious consequences for citrus fruits, wheat and vineyards, with economic damage estimated at 2.7 billion euros”.
The EU researchers' predictions for the coming months are not reassuring: “These impacts are likely to persist, as drier than normal conditions are expected across the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, central-northern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, eastern Europe, southern Russia and northern Africa between July and September 2024.
The prolonged lack of precipitation in much of southeastern Europe and North Africa, combined with warmer than average temperatures, could affect river flows and impact agriculture, ecosystems and energy production. Careful management of water resources is essential to minimize such negative impacts, say EU experts.