The EU’s plan to boost water efficiency by 10% by 2030

Published on

12/08/2026 - 9:00 GMT+2

Record temperatures are sweeping across Spain and into Finland. This summer, droughts have spread across Europe, prompting urgent water rationing measures and temporary bans on non-essential water uses.

The World Weather Attribution links current droughts to months of below-average rainfall and record heat between April and June. In 2026 alone, soil moisture deficits are 5 to 11 times more likely. France's maize harvest is at a 50-year low, and Romania is losing over a million hectares. Reduced water levels in rivers and lakes are affecting tourism and transportation, including on the Danube, which is at its lowest since 1996.

Extreme dryness is also fuelling wildfires. The EU reports that, so far, 500,852 hectares have been burned across the bloc, up from 381,444 hectares in the same period in 2025.