Poles think that water is something that will never run out in their latitude but they would be wrong according to Dr. hab. Eng. Zbigniew Karaczun from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the Climate Coalition.
The signs are already here. For example, the disappearance of the Warta’s largest river basin – the Noteć, or the withdrawal of the Wilczyński Lake by six meters. These are some of the visible effects of climate change in Poland. If we do nothing, it will only get worse and in the long run, lead to exhaustion of resources.
Is Poland drying up?
Yes. Since the mid-1990s, Poland has had a permanent summer drought and 2018 was the worst in this respect for nearly a hundred years. Snowless winters and dry autumn also affect the very poor general situation. Unfortunately, the increase in average temperatures will result in even more intense evaporation. In addition, Poland allows the rainwater to simply run away, rather than to retain it and slow its outflow to the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the use of groundwater for consumption, but also for other purposes, has increased significantly in recent years.
Does Poland have less water resources than Other countries?
Although it may come as a surprise, Poland does not have a lot of water resources. Poland’s resources can be compared to those of Egypt which is in North Africa! Statistically, there are 4,600 m3 of water per capita in Europe and only 1,600 m3 per capita for a Polish inhabitant. This is well below the EU average.
Is there a political will to change this?
No, today’s politicians do not seem to notice climate change and related needs. Successive governments sweep the matter under the carpet, counting on the fact that the consequences of omissions will be borne by others in the future. Its a problem for generations to come which seems far away. But, what we can be sure of is that it will definitely come.
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