Lloyd’s is warning that alarm bells are already ringing across Europe over the potential for widespread water shortages.
According to Lloyd’s, 2011 is shaping up to be seriously dry, with officials having already raised concerns in Switzerland, The Netherlands and France, while parts of the UK have seen the driest Spring in more than a century.
In addition to the agricultural sector, water shortages can have serious implications for the energy sector, with the hydropower sector vulnerable to problems and non-hydro power plants in need water for cooling.
Problems can also be created by low river levels, as seen in 2003 when ships on the River Rhine were unable to pass in places, and drought can damage buildings through soil shrinkage, Lloyd’s reports.
Water management and hydrology expert, Henny van Lanen, spokesman for the European Drought Centre, told Lloyd’s that effective water pricing, greater use of water metering, soil water conservation and the prioritisation of water use are now rising up the European agenda.
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