Dutch Province Prohibits Farmers from Using Surface Water Due to Severe Drought

Due to the ongoing drought, farmers in the southernmost province of the Netherlands, Limburg, will not be permitted to use surface water, particularly river water, for agricultural purposes, according to source.

According to the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NOS), a ban on the use of surface water for farming will go into effect in northern and central Limburg on August 26 at 12 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT) in an effort to stop further river water level decline and drying up.

According to the local authorities, a partial ban has already been enacted in Limburg to stabilise water levels in rivers and streams, but the province's reservoirs in the north and centre face an additional risk of drying up.

The Dutch government declared a water shortage on August 3 as a result of an ongoing drought that had followed an unusual heat wave.

As a result of fertiliser restrictions, some areas of the Netherlands have already outlawed farmers from spraying their crops with surface water.

The largest source of drinking water in the nation, Lake IJsselmeer, is being watched by the authorities.

This summer, temperatures have been extraordinarily high in many European nations. Unprecedented droughts have affected some nations, and massive wildfires in other nations have forced thousands of Europeans to flee their homes as they consume vast tracts of land.