14/07/2005 – As Europe
swelters in its latest summer heat wave, WWF
warns that building more reservoirs and water
storage dams will not solve the continent’s
water shortage and may even damage the scarce
water resources that remain.
Persistent hot weather following months of
low rainfall has raised the spectre of serious
drought in many parts of Europe. Authorities
have already urged consumers to cut back on
water usage and in many places imposed bans
on hosepipes and sprinklers and prohibited
filling swimming pools or washing cars. London’s
mayor has even told citizens to flush their
toilets less often.
WWF is concerned that even though reservoirs
are known to lose substantial amounts of water
through surface evaporation, authorities are
already suggesting building more reservoirs
and water storage dams to supplement water
supplies during future periods of drought.
“Europe is not suffering from a shortage
of dams or reservoirs, it’s suffering from
a waste of water,” said Dr Ute Collier of
WWF.
“In some of the driest areas, inefficient
agricultural irrigation regularly wastes 40
per cent of water, whereas in many big cities
in Europe leaking pipes lose up to another
third of the water."
Water supplies in England, France, Italy,
Portugal, and Spain are running low. In Italy,
reservoirs are at depleted levels, with the
River Po drying up to a trickle. Meanwhile,
in Spain reservoir levels are down an average
of 40 per cent compared to last year. Southern
European countries have the largest area of
irrigated land in Europe, and use around three
times more water per unit of irrigated land
than other parts of Europe.
The large-scale loss of wetlands in Europe,
for example 80 per cent in Italy, is another
factor in the current crisis. Wetlands are
like sponges holding water; when wetlands
are destroyed, the water also disappears and
no amount of manmade storage facilities will
bring it back.
“With Europe in the grips of another sizzling
summer, authorities need to convert plans
for dams and reservoirs into plans for improving
water efficiency and restoring wetlands and
fragmented rivers,” said Dr Collier.
“This problem isn’t going away as climate
change is likely to increase the occurrence
of droughts in Europe and elsewhere. We have
to find better solutions for long-term water
supply within Europe before our rivers turn
to trickles.”
