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The Water Framework Directive promotes sustainable water use via the long-term protection of available water resources and the mitigation of the effects of droughts, contributing to guaranteeing a sufficient supply of good quality surface water and groundwater and protecting territorial and marine waters. EU Member States implement integrated river basin management through River Basin Management Plans required by the Directive, and some have adopted Drought Management Plans for vulnerable river basins.
Droughts are a temporary decrease in average water availability, e.g. due to insufficient rainfall, and are considered natural phenomena. Droughts can occur anywhere in Europe, in both high and low rainfall areas, and at any time of year. The effects of droughts can be exacerbated when they occur in a region with low water resources or when water resources are overexploited in unsustainable ways, leading to water scarcity. This is typical of southern European regions in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus, but is also becoming increasingly common in other parts of Europe.
Due to climate change, many European regions are already facing more frequent, severe, and prolonged droughts, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Mediterranean region in particular should prepare for hotter summers and more frequent droughts.
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xx km2 of EU area which corresponds to xx % of its territory was exposed to the potential impacts of droughts in last 10 days
During the first period of June 2023, droughts occurred at alert and warning level in 10 river basin districts of the European Union.
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Top 3 EU ecosystems highly exposed to the potential risk of drought impacts in the period
45%
of Woodland and forest
34%
Heathland and shrub
25%
Grassland
Near real-time map viewer – Ecosystems exposed to drought conditions in Europe
Drought may have several impacts on economy and ecosystems
Prolonged droughts can have various potential impacts on water availability, especially in rivers and lakes. They can also impose potential costs of several billion euros per year on the EU economy. As droughts directly affect vegetation cover and reduce the ability to intercept solar radiation, prolonged droughts can also affect ecosystem productivity.
Most affected ecosystem types in the latest season in the EU-27 |
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Between 2000 and 2021, the European Union (EU) was affected by severe droughts, with 2003, 2005, 2012 and 2019 being extreme years. Forests suffered most from severe droughts, with ca. 30,000 km2 annually. |
Economic damages of the droughts impact in the EU-27 |
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Between 1980 and 2021, weather- and climate-related extremes caused economic losses estimated at EUR 560 billion in the EU Member States, of which EUR 56.6 billion from 2021. Drought caused about 8% of that damages. |
Explore more
Drought and water scarcity
Measures for reducing the impacts of droughts in Europe
What are the main EU policies addressing droughts and water scarcity?
Related resources
Meteorological drought of European Drought Observatory – DG Joint Research Center
