Record heat pushes Europe deeper into worsening water crisis

Record summer heat has pushed 38 per cent of Europe’s land into drought, intensifying a water crisis that European authorities say is no longer simply an environmental issue.

Decades of overuse, pollution and poor management have already weakened rivers, lakes and groundwater reserves, leaving Europe less prepared to cope with increasingly frequent droughts. Around 30 per cent of Europeans and 20 per cent of Europe’s land experience water scarcity each year, an analysis by Euronews points out.

The European Environment Agency considers water resources to be under stress when consumption reaches 20 per cent of renewable freshwater supplies, with severe stress beginning at 40 per cent.

Climate change

Europe is warming faster than the global average, with temperatures increasing by 0.56°C per decade compared with 0.27°C globally, according to Copernicus data cited by Euronews.

Drought affected more than 601,000 square kilometres of European territory in 2024, damaging forests and cropland. The European Environment Agency expects drought conditions to worsen by 2050 as rising temperatures increase evaporation.

But climate change is only part of the problem. Agriculture, industry and energy production consume huge volumes of water, while emerging sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing and data centres are adding new demand.

Although total water abstraction fell 14 per cent between 2000 and 2023, Europe still extracts water at levels that can exceed natural replenishment in some areas. Only 2.4 per cent of wastewater is currently reused.

Leaking infrastructure

Europe is also losing significant quantities of treated water before it reaches consumers. The 2026 EurEau report puts average water losses at about 23.5 per cent, only slightly below the 24 per cent recorded in its 2021 survey.

“Across the Union, we are still losing enormous volumes of treated drinking water through ageing pipes before it even reaches people’s taps”, said Thomas Bajada, a European Parliament member involved in the EU’s Water Resilience Strategy.

“Water-smart” economy

The European Union launched its Water Resilience Strategy in June 2025, outlining more than 50 measures aimed at protecting water supplies and improving efficiency.

The strategy includes a target of increasing water efficiency by 10 per cent by 2030, expanding wastewater reuse, reducing leakage and strengthening controls on water consumption. It also promotes technologies such as smart meters, artificial intelligence forecasting, satellite monitoring and digital irrigation.

“Water is no longer just an environmental investment. It is an investment in people’s wellbeing, Europe’s food security, public health, economic competitiveness and resilience. And if Europe underinvests in water today, it will not be institutions that feel the consequences first, it will be ordinary people”, Bajada said.

The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable. In 2023, 30 per cent of the southern European population faced permanent water stress, rising to 70 per cent during summer.

Cyprus and Malta are among the hardest-hit countries. Cyprus used 92.1 per cent of its freshwater resources in 2023, while Malta used 66.7 per cent, both exceeding the severe-stress threshold.

Water shortages

The consequences extend beyond drinking water. Electricity generation accounts for 33 per cent of water abstraction, while agriculture accounts for 31 per cent. Low river levels can disrupt hydropower, thermal and nuclear plants and inland shipping.

Agricultural shortages can reduce harvests and increase food prices, while water-intensive industries such as steel, paper and food production face disruption.

For Europe, the water crisis is therefore becoming an economic and security challenge as much as an environmental one. As climate pressures intensify, the continent’s ability to preserve reliable water supplies will increasingly depend on infrastructure investment, conservation and more efficient use of its shrinking freshwater resources.

By Sabina Mammadli