Netherlands Raises Water Crisis Level to 'Actual Shortage'

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Xinhua, the Dutch government on Thursday, July 16, raised the country's water crisis level from "imminent" to "actual shortage" after prolonged drought and high temperatures. A government bulletin said the shortage is affecting inland shipping, industry and agriculture, with some canals running too low for vessels, reducing traffic and cargo loads. It also said some factories face limits on cooling-water discharge to prevent river water from warming too quickly, while reduced river flows are delaying irrigation for some crops and worsening salinization in parts of the west. The bulletin said household drinking water supplies remain adequate. The Dutch water resources authority is coordinating with local governments to assess demand in different regions and allocate available water to minimize losses. A monitoring report from the Netherlands' Water Management Center said rainfall has been scarce since mid-June, upstream inflows on the Rhine and Meuse rivers have fallen, river flows are at historic lows and groundwater levels are also low, while persistent heat has pushed up water demand.