Severe drought forces emergency water management across Czechia

Severe drought and persistent heat are impacting Czechia, making 2024 one of the driest years recorded since 1961. According to hydrologists, nationwide precipitation has fallen 34 percent below normal levels, causing widespread groundwater depletion and drastically lower river flows. Stream levels across Moravia have dropped below half of their usual volume, leaving smaller waterways completely dry.

In response to falling water levels on the Vltava Cascade, authorities are preparing to draw from the Slapy reservoir's emergency storage to maintain minimum required river flow—a operational measure needed roughly once every 50 years. Environmental experts warn that without comprehensive landscape adaptation, regions such as Southern Moravia and Polabí face increasing risks of desertification.

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