Czech Republic faces severe water shortages as drought strains rivers and reservoirs

Severe drought conditions continue to deplete water resources across the Czech Republic, with precipitation tracking 34 percent below long-term averages since early 2024. Hydrological data from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and InterSucho indicate persistent soil moisture deficits across nearly a third of the country, severely affecting agricultural yields, groundwater levels, and river flows in southern Moravia and the Elbe basin.

Water management authority Povodí Vltavy confirmed that several small watercourses have run completely dry, warning that current conditions reflect climate scenarios previously projected for 2050. While the government has reactivated its National Coalition Against Drought, allocated four billion korunas (€160 million) for mitigation, and drafted legislation for new reservoirs, environmental scientists emphasize that structural dams alone cannot compensate for diminishing river flows, advocating instead for agricultural innovation and landscape water-retention measures.

Sources: Český rozhlas Plus, Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Seznam Zprávy.