Despite the drought in large parts of Germany, people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania do not currently have to fear water shortages. From the point of view of the state government, however, one should not sit back and relax.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) – While large parts of central and eastern Germany are suffering from exceptional drought, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has so far been spared this year. According to the drought monitor of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, the soil in the country is only affected by moderate drought, even if the plants in the topsoil (up to 25 centimeters) have little water available. With reference to information from the farmers, however, the Ministry of the Environment largely gave the all-clear for the plants in the fields, which had also developed deeper roots thanks to the wet winter.
The state government was also unconcerned with regard to the groundwater reserves in the short term, the responsible ministry is more concerned about the medium-term trend: “Nine of the ten warmest years in M-V since weather records began after the year 2000,” said the Ministry of Agriculture .
In addition, in the past, the drainage of moors and inland catchment areas made the water balance more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. According to the information, the precipitation in winter drains off too quickly, which also affects the formation of new groundwater. Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) had already pointed out last week that moors could store many times more water, which is why rewetting is so important.
According to the state government, 90 percent of the water supply in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is ensured by groundwater – especially from deeper layers of the earth – only the Rostock region is exposed to the danger of a lack of surface water in its drinking water supply. “The relevant level on the Warnow shows falling water levels and is currently in the range of the mean low water level,” it said. According to the information, the rest of the country would only feel the consequences of a longer dry period later.
