Brussels- Southern Europe is preparing for an intense summer of drought, as certain areas are already facing water shortages and farmers are anticipating their lowest yields in decades.

The region is experiencing hotter and drier conditions due to the impacts of climate change, resulting in the depletion of groundwater reserves after years of consecutive drought. In Spain, southern France, and Italy, soils have become extremely dry, while low river and reservoir levels are posing a threat to hydropower production for the upcoming summer.

As temperatures rise during the summer season, scientists are cautioning that Europe is heading towards another severe summer, following the record-breaking heat experienced last year. The previous year's scorching temperatures contributed to an unprecedented drought, characterized by European Union researchers as the most severe in at least half a millennium.

Presently, Spain is facing the most critical situation concerning drought. Jorge Olcina, a professor of geographic analysis at the University of Alicante in Spain, has warned that the drought situation is set to worsen during the upcoming summer.

Rainfall is unlikely to alleviate the underlying drought at this stage, according to experts. Jorge Olcina emphasizes that, during this time of year, any precipitation that occurs will likely be sporadic and localized, unable to address the overall rainfall deficit.

In light of the severity of the situation, Spain's Agriculture Minister Luis Planas has sought emergency assistance from the European Union (EU). In an April 24 letter sent to the European Commission (EC), Planas emphasized that the magnitude of the drought's consequences surpasses the capacity of national funds alone.

Southern Europe is not the only region experiencing severe water shortages this year. The Horn of Africa is currently facing its most severe drought in decades, while Argentina is grappling with a historic drought that has severely impacted soy and corn crops.

The increased frequency and intensity of drought in the Mediterranean region align with scientists' predictions regarding the impact of climate change on the area. The average temperature in the Mediterranean region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to 150 years ago, highlighting the progressive warming trend caused by climate change.

According to Hayley Fowler, a Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University, the current drought situation in Southern Europe aligns with long-held predictions about the impact of climate change in the region.

However, despite these forecasts, the implementation of water-saving techniques and adaptation measures has been slow. Many farming regions have yet to adopt practices like precision irrigation or transition to more drought-resistant crops such as sunflowers.

Governments and companies have been criticized for their delayed response to the situation. Some companies are not actively considering changing their consumption models and instead rely on the hope of finding miraculous technologies to solve the water shortage issue, according to Robert Vautard, a climate scientist and director of France's Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute.

France is emerging from its driest winter since 1959, and drought "crisis" alerts have already been activated in four departmental prefects, leading to restrictions on non-priority water withdrawals, including for agriculture.

Portugal is also experiencing an early onset of drought, with 90% of the mainland suffering from drought conditions. Severe drought is affecting one-fifth of the country, nearly five times the area reported compared to the previous year.

In Spain, where rainfall has been less than half of the average through April this year, thousands of people are relying on truck deliveries for drinking water. Water restrictions have been imposed in regions like Catalonia.

Severe drought in Southern Europe, particularly in Spain, is leading to significant crop losses for farmers, reaching as high as 80% in some cases.

Cereals and oilseeds are among the most affected crops. Spain, a major producer of olives and fruit in the EU, is facing the worst harvest loss in decades.

The country has earmarked over 2 billion euros in emergency response funding and has requested a 450-million-euro crisis fund from the EU.

Italy is also expected to struggle with water scarcity, with farmers planning to reduce the area for summer crop planting by 6% compared to the previous year due to low soil moisture and thin snow cover. Northern Italy is experiencing substantial deficits in snow water reserves and soil moisture after two years of water scarcity.

The current deep water shortages in Southern Europe, particularly in Italy, are setting the stage for a situation similar to last year's summer, which marked Italy's most severe drought in 70 years.

Luca Brocca, a Director of Research at Italy's National Research Council, describes the circumstances as "exceptional" for both 2022 and the current year. The ongoing water scarcity is posing significant challenges and exacerbating the drought conditions experienced in the region.