Droughts, Less Water in Southern Europe

2022-03-08

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1
  • Southern Europe is facing a water crisis that could lead to a decrease in food production, especially in agriculture.
  • 2
  • Decreasing agricultural production in Europe and reduced water resources are future dangers as worldwide temperatures continue to rise, the world's top climate scientists say.
  • 3
  • Spain is facing one of the driest winters on record.
  • 4
  • Juan Camacho, a farmer in the southern province of Granada, said, "We are facing a drastic situation."
  • 5
  • Drastic is a term that means serious or severe.
  • 6
  • Not far from Camacho's land, the area's largest reservoir is down to 15 percent of its capacity after over two months without a drop of rain.
  • 7
  • In Portugal, authorities have restricted the use of some reservoirs for hydroelectric power and irrigation as the country experiences an unusual winter drought.
  • 8
  • Joaquín Montes is among those set to lose more.
  • 9
  • He is one of about 10 million farmers in the European Union who feed some 440 million people.
  • 10
  • Located between Costa del Sol and the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain, Montes' land should have plenty of water.
  • 11
  • But with 41 percent less rain than average since October, dams contain almost no water.
  • 12
  • Private sources of water - such as ponds - that are supposed to last farmers through summer are empty.
  • 13
  • "Us farmers, we are used to dealing with drought," said Montes, who learned the job from his father when he was 14.
  • 14
  • "But every year we see less and less rain. I fear for my livelihood."
  • 15
  • A report this week by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested that Europeans will experience high heat and flooding as well as agricultural losses and water scarcity.
  • 16
  • Extreme heat, floods and droughts will lead to infrastructure damage and increased energy and water demands, the report warned.
  • 17
  • As warming rises faster in Europe than the worldwide average, experts painted a picture of a divided continent.
  • 18
  • They suggest that the south would become increasingly dry and the north could take on a Mediterranean climate that might provide some increased crop production and forest growth, but with risks of its own.
  • 19
  • Rachel Licker is a climate expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
  • 20
  • She told The Associated Press "There are some vegetables and warm climate crops that might see benefits in the short term."
  • 21
  • "The major crops that are exported and really form the basis of a lot of the economy are the ones that are likely to be negatively affected," she added.
  • 22
  • Environmentalists say landowners who switched from traditional crops to those that demand more water and bring higher profits are part of the problem.
  • 23
  • Industrial, single-crop farming for avocados or mangoes have replaced smaller, traditional farms.
  • 24
  • Patrick Verkooijen of the Rotterdam-based Global Center on Adaptation said the report's message is "that for many, now the time is already adapt or die."
  • 25
  • He added, "The cost of inaction is much higher than the cost of action."
  • 26
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 1
  • Southern Europe is facing a water crisis that could lead to a decrease in food production, especially in agriculture.
  • 2
  • Decreasing agricultural production in Europe and reduced water resources are future dangers as worldwide temperatures continue to rise, the world's top climate scientists say.
  • 3
  • Southern Europe
  • 4
  • Spain is facing one of the driest winters on record. Juan Camacho, a farmer in the southern province of Granada, said, "We are facing a drastic situation."
  • 5
  • Drastic is a term that means serious or severe.
  • 6
  • Not far from Camacho's land, the area's largest reservoir is down to 15 percent of its capacity after over two months without a drop of rain.
  • 7
  • In Portugal, authorities have restricted the use of some reservoirs for hydroelectric power and irrigation as the country experiences an unusual winter drought.
  • 8
  • Joaquín Montes is among those set to lose more. He is one of about 10 million farmers in the European Union who feed some 440 million people.
  • 9
  • Located between Costa del Sol and the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain, Montes' land should have plenty of water.
  • 10
  • But with 41 percent less rain than average since October, dams contain almost no water. Private sources of water - such as ponds - that are supposed to last farmers through summer are empty.
  • 11
  • "Us farmers, we are used to dealing with drought," said Montes, who learned the job from his father when he was 14. "But every year we see less and less rain. I fear for my livelihood."
  • 12
  • IPCC report
  • 13
  • A report this week by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested that Europeans will experience high heat and flooding as well as agricultural losses and water scarcity.
  • 14
  • Extreme heat, floods and droughts will lead to infrastructure damage and increased energy and water demands, the report warned.
  • 15
  • As warming rises faster in Europe than the worldwide average, experts painted a picture of a divided continent. They suggest that the south would become increasingly dry and the north could take on a Mediterranean climate that might provide some increased crop production and forest growth, but with risks of its own.
  • 16
  • Rachel Licker is a climate expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She told The Associated Press "There are some vegetables and warm climate crops that might see benefits in the short term."
  • 17
  • "The major crops that are exported and really form the basis of a lot of the economy are the ones that are likely to be negatively affected," she added.
  • 18
  • Environmentalists say landowners who switched from traditional crops to those that demand more water and bring higher profits are part of the problem. Industrial, single-crop farming for avocados or mangoes have replaced smaller, traditional farms.
  • 19
  • Patrick Verkooijen of the Rotterdam-based Global Center on Adaptation said the report's message is "that for many, now the time is already adapt or die."
  • 20
  • He added, "The cost of inaction is much higher than the cost of action."
  • 21
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 22
  • Aritz Parra and Frank Jordans reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English.
  • 23
  • ____________________________________________________________________
  • 24
  • Words in This Story
  • 25
  • reservoir - n. a usually artificial lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, in businesses, etc.
  • 26
  • capacity - n. the ability to hold or contain people or things - usually singular
  • 27
  • irrigation - n. the act of supplying (something, such as land) with water by using artificial means (such as pipes)
  • 28
  • drought - n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain
  • 29
  • scarcity - n. a very small supply : the state of being scarce
  • 30
  • infrastructure - n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly
  • 31
  • benefit - n. a good or helpful result or effect