German Capital Region Faces Water Shortages As Coal Phaseout Looms - Study

The German capital region faces severe water shortages once coal mining in the area stops and groundwater is no longer pumped into the city's main artery, a government-commissioned study showed

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2023) The German capital region faces severe water shortages once coal mining in the area stops and groundwater is no longer pumped into the city's main artery, a government-commissioned study showed.

The Federal government plans to phase out highly polluting brown coal mining in Lausitz district, southeast of Berlin, by at least 2038, with the Green party pushing for the deadline to be brought forward to 2030.

A study published by the German Environment Agency shows that waters in the Spree River, which runs through the heart of Berlin, have been kept at a sufficiently high level since coal-mining was introduced to the area in the 19th century.

Groundwater has been nourishing Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg as well as Saxony to the south. About half of the Spree waters flowing by Cottbus in Brandenburg comes from beneath the ground, with the share of groundwater in the river rising to 75% during the dry season.

An end to groundwater pumping will cause the banks of the Spree to dry up in summer, slashing drink water supply to Berlin and the suburbs and endangering the Spreewald, a UNESCO-listed natural preserve southeast of the capital, the study warned.

"In the worst-case scenario, water in Berlin and Brandenburg could become severely scarce if no resolute action is taken. The states of Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony are facing corresponding challenges," Dirk Messner, the agency's head, said.

Messner argued that the looming water shortage was no reason to suspend the coal phaseout. Instead, he said, regional authorities should expand water reservoirs and consider pumping water from nearby rivers, such as the Elbe and the Oder.