Study Finds Sweeping Water Losses Across Europe 2002-2024, From Spain To Ukraine And From The UK To Poland
Vast swathes of Europe’s water reserves are drying up, a new analysis using two decades of satellite data reveals, with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK. Scientists at University College London (UCL), working with Watershed Investigations and the Guardian, analysed 2002–24 data from satellites, which track changes in Earth’s gravitational field.
Because water is heavy, shifts in groundwater, rivers, lakes, soil moisture and glaciers show up in the signal, allowing the satellites to effectively “weigh” how much water is stored. The findings reveal a stark imbalance: the north and north-west of Europe – particularly Scandinavia, parts of the UK and Portugal – have been getting wetter, while large swathes of the south and south-east, including parts of the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Romania and Ukraine, have been drying out.
Climate breakdown can be seen in the data, the scientists say. “When we compare the total terrestrial water storage data with climate datasets, the trends broadly correlate,” said Mohammad Shamsudduha, professor of water crisis and risk reduction at UCL. It should be a “wake-up call” for politicians still sceptical about cutting emissions, said Shamsudduha. “We’re no longer talking about limiting warming to 1.5C, we’re likely heading toward 2C above preindustrial levels, and we’re now witnessing the consequences.”
Doctoral researcher Arifin isolated groundwater storage from the total terrestrial water data and found that trends in these more resilient water bodies mirrored the overall picture, confirming that much of Europe’s hidden freshwater reserves are being depleted. Trends in the UK are mixed. “Overall, the west is getting wetter while the east is becoming drier and that signal is getting stronger,” said Shamsudduha.
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/29/climate-crisis-depleting-europe-groundwater-reserves-analysis
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