German groundwater
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An investigation by the German nonprofit newsroom CORRECTIV has revealed that the groundwater levels across Germany have fallen dramatically. The levels have reached their lowest level since 1990 in nearly half of the 6,700 sites studied, raising concerns about German groundwater sustainability.
The research shows that the levels have fallen more than they have risen over the past 32 years. This ongoing depletion of German groundwater has implications for the country’s future. A spokesperson for the German Federal Environment Ministry says it is no longer possible to rely on unlimited resources of groundwater in Germany.
The worst-affected areas are in the north of the country as well as in North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, and Bavaria. The decline in groundwater is caused by a combination of climate change, human usage, and industrial demand. CORRECTIV has put together an interactive map of the change in groundwater level in the different regions in Germany: See source.
Previously, there has been no centralized, publicly available information on how groundwater levels have changed. Professor Claudia Pahl-Wostl, a geography professor at the University of Osnabrück, criticized the lack of transparency regarding German groundwater data. She said that the authorities need to collect and analyze data, understand why it is happening, and then take action.
The EU is also a critic.
Even the European Environment Agency (EEA) criticized the lack of information. They stated that under the EU Water Framework Directive, all EU member states are supposed to record the amount of available groundwater. A spokesperson for the EEA stressed that “the quantity of water is crucial in the climate crisis,” particularly Germany’s groundwater management. The management of German groundwater is seen as a vital component in this context.
The current draft of the German National Water Strategy is due to be adopted by the end of the year. However, it does not contain a national overview of German groundwater data. This is surprising given that the strategy aims to secure the water supply for decades to come.
