The catastrophic fires that have raged through the summer are not the only clear evidence of climate change. Now drought, in particular its effect on access to water, has entered public debate as a turning point in the climate crisis.
With 47 percent of the EU's territory on warning due to a lack of soil moisture, drying rivers and reduced or no access to running water in some countries – notably in France, where more than 100 communes are still without drinking water – Europe is currently facing what some consider the worst drought in 500 years.
While water is primarily a precious commodity for individuals and agriculture, the consequences of such a drought in fact reach much further: from reduced river traffic due to lower water levels, to difficulties in cooling nuclear power plants, to the threat to biodiversity, lack of water impacts our entire way of life.