Water crisis in Cottbus: Restrictions on water withdrawals from now on!

Water crisis in Cottbus: Restrictions on water withdrawals from now on!

The water shortage in Brandenburg has now reached new dimensions: The districts of Dahme-Spreewald and Spree-Neisse have taken measures to regulate water withdrawal from above-ground waters. According to Tagesspiegel A restriction for the withdrawal of water from the Spreesystem and the upper reaches of the DAHME. This general order is valid until revocation and applies daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The background of this drastic measure is the foreseeable water shortage, which is tightened by the current weather conditions. The flowing waters already have very low flows, which presents the ecosystems with a serious challenge. In order to stop the decline in water and secure the ecological functions of the water, these steps are necessary.

effects on the region

Not only the counties are affected. The city of Cottbus is also planning to limit water withdrawal from above -ground waters from next week. These measures serve the goal of protecting the water reserves due to the continuing drought and rain deficits. The cities of Spremberg, Drebkau and Castle are also subject to this new decision from the Spree-Neiße district, such as honnef today reported.

In a similar train, the Rhein-Sieg district has limited the water withdrawal from above-ground waters from October 31 from June 1, 2023. Despite good middle water levels after the strong rainfall, there were already low water levels in spring, especially for smaller waters. This means that inadmissible water withdrawals are increasingly checked, and violations can be punished with fines.

long -term strategies against water shortages

climate change plays a central role in these developments. Increasing dry periods and changed precipitation patterns are responsible for the falling groundwater levels. The National Water Strategy , which was launched in 2023, aims at addressing these challenges and ensuring just distribution of the water resources.

The strategy is committed to the long -term securing of water supply and deals with the reduction of usage conflicts between agriculture, industry and drinking water supply. By developing guidelines for dealing with water shortages, a forward -looking handling of water withdrawals is required to prevent acute bottlenecks.

The coming weeks will show how well the measures take to take effect and whether the region is able to successfully master the ecological challenges. Nature demands our attention - there is something and the projects have to go hand in hand with the population.