Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Stranded houseboats and grounded cruise ships: Europe’s rivers are
shrinking amid heat and drought
Climate change is hitting harder and faster in Europe. Early heatwaves
have already killed thousands across the continent and the UK, and mid-summer is
yet to come. Another problem is drought. You may think flooding seawater is the
primary water problem in the Netherlands, but the lowland nation recently raised
its drought response because of persistent drought and increasing demand for
water. Also, as less water flows in rivers and water levels recede, more boats
and ships are stranded, affecting transportation and tourism industries. Warmer
water temperatures in the Rhine and Meuse rivers increase algae and kill fish,
too. In summer, the water shortage problem cannot be solved by a few showers when the heat dries the soil and empties the rivers, while demand for water increases.
Such a situation was predicted to occur in the middle of the century. Extreme
heat and drought. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent due to climate
change.
Read the article and learn what’s going on in Europe.
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