Schnabelwaid in the water emergency: the municipality takes strict measures!

Schnabelwaid in the water emergency: the municipality takes strict measures!

The location is tense in the small community of Schnabelwaid: the drinking water supply threatens to restrict in the coming weeks in view of the water shortage. As the Bayreuther Tagblatt , the source in the Kitschenrain produces significantly less water than usual. The municipality has taken strict measures to prevent supply bottlenecks. In this way, the residents are suggested that the use of water outside of the basic need to stop until further notice. The filling of pools and paddling pool is also prohibited, and the lawn irrigation should also be limited to a minimum.

A spokesman for the community emphasizes that every liter of water counts, and the duration of these restrictions remains unclear. The municipality observes the source and will inform the residents promptly as soon as the situation relaxes.

water shortage as a European problem

The developments in Schnabelwaid are not an isolated case. Water shortage is a growing problem in Europe, and over 100 million people are affected. The challenges for Europe's waters, which include both the amount and quality of the available water, are additionally tightened by climate change and increasing drought risks. According to the European environmental agency only 37 percent reached in 2021 Surface waters in the EU a "good" or "very good" ecological state. This makes it clear that not only beak waids but also many regions in the EU are fighting with acute water problems.

water shortage is not only due to changes in weather. The combination of industrial and agricultural chemicals that get into water and new pollutants such as microplastics significantly strain the water quality. Much of European sweet water use comes from rivers and groundwater, which are affected by overuse and pollution, which further increases the pressure on the water supply.

challenges and solutions

Water requirements in Europe has decreased by 24 percent per capita in the past 50 years, but demand remains high in the agricultural economy. Agriculture is attributed to massive importance in water use - it consumes 40 percent of total consumption, even if only 9 percent of the agricultural areas are irrigated. At the same time, the water consumption for energy generation is also not to be neglected and accounts for 28 percent of the water required annually. All of this leads to an unhealthy ratio between water consumption and availability, which the situation in Schnabelwaid illustrates all too well.

like the European environmental agency , the opportunities and challenges are also distributed differently. Cities such as Cape Town and Cairo are pioneers in the urgent topic of water shortages, while regions in Europe, including parts of Germany, are affected by similar fates. Measures to further improve water quality and to reduce harmful chemicals in the water are urgently required.

Overall, it turns out: whether in Schnabelwaid or elsewhere - the signs of water shortage cannot be ignored. The call for more sustainable use of the valuable resource of water is getting louder and is extremely important for the coming generations.