The Czech Republic is facing its worst drought in the past 500 years

Prague, April 29 (CTK) – Drought is hitting 80 percent of groundwater sources, farming drought has been reported in the whole Czech Republic, and the situation is catastrophic, Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO) said at a press conference today.

The early phases of the drought the country is now entering are already worse than in the several years before, which were seen as acute drought years, he said.

The lack of precipitation is accumulating and the overall temperatures are growing, creating a situation unknown to previous generations.

In the past, April was the month when mountain snows thawed and the rivers were full of water. Today, reports show that the Vltava River in Prague is at 22 percent of the monthly average.

The parameters of the current drought are worse than the very dry year of 2018.

A team of scientists from the InterSucho project said that the current series of droughts, started in 2015, is the worst in the past 500 years.

The Environment Ministry is now planning a 3.5 billion crown investment in the fight against drought, focusing on tree planting, green roofs and rain water collection.

Brabec said it is important for the country to catch as much rain water as possible, with the state planning to provide subsidies for people to build reservoirs on their property.

The minister also said that he called on the National Coalition for Fighting Drought to meet on May 12, its main topic being the readiness of various regions for a possible crisis of drinking water accessibility.