Schwerin (dpa/mv) – According to the Ministry of the Environment in Schwerin, the lack of precipitation and the increasing evaporation with rising temperatures are not only affecting the lakes in the state, but are also affecting the groundwater. Measurements in various aquifers did not allow any other conclusions, it was said before a symposium on “Climate Change and Groundwater” planned for today in Güstrow. According to statistical surveys, the withdrawal of groundwater and surface water in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has increased by a good 30 percent in just one decade. According to the information, agriculture is primarily responsible for this. As a result of increasingly frequent dry spells, farmers have extended the irrigation of their fields. Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) has already announced that he intends to charge a fee for the previously free use.