Drought in the Czech Republic. The Political, Economic and Social Consequences
Drought in the Czech Republic. The Political, Economic and Social Consequences

Author(s): Krzysztof Dębiec
Subject(s): National Economy, Agriculture, Energy and Environmental Studies, Physical Geopgraphy, Environmental Geography, Environmental and Energy policy, Government/Political systems, Security and defense
Published by: OSW Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia
Keywords: Czech Republic; drought; Climate change; forest policy; agriculture; energy sector;
Summary/Abstract: In the Czech Republic, 2020 was the seventh consecutive year of a drought which is considered the most severe in 500 years and differs from the previous ones in that it is more prolonged and characterised by considerably higher temperatures. At its peak, every fifth municipality was exposed to the risk of water scarcity, which was particularly evident in southern Moravia and in north‑western regions. Abundant rainfall in spring and autumn 2020, followed by a winter that was favourable from the point of view of water replenishment, contributed to an improvement of the situation (particularly in Moravia). This was when drought became an issue of regional rather than nationwide importance. However, the problem of hydrological drought, involving groundwater scarcity, was not fully eliminated and, taking account of long‑term climate change trends and structural problems faced by the Czech agricultural and forest sectors, experts are expecting a recurrence of an even more severe drought in a couple of years at the latest. The situation affecting the Czech Republic is further aggravated by the fact that this country has the EU’s smallest freshwater resources (excluding island countries). Most local scientists argue that droughts are becoming an inherent element of Czech geography and water scarcity is increasingly becoming a major structural problem.

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