Extreme heat like the one that has plagued Slovakia this summer is beyond the expectations of climatologists who expressed their concern in an open letter addressed to the Slovak president, Government and MPs. "According to climate models what we see nowadays was expected to happen sometime in the middle of this century. It means that the reality is worse than the most pessimistic climate scenarios. Please note that climate change is a threat to civilization", read the letter signed by Alexander Ač, Pavel Matejovič and Jozef Pecho. "Slovakia can expect the same fate as dry-torn California, where farmers are fighting for every litre of water and have to leave their devastated properties in large numbers. Our country might already in the course of this century find itself among those states where water is a scarce resource which will be increasingly expensive", conclude the climatologists.
Agriculture will be the first to be affected by water shortages, a fact reflected in higher food prices. The three climatologists point to the fact that Southern Slovakia has gradually acquired the characteristics of a steppe in some parts. They advise for taking measures related to water management. Their basic philosophy should be the rational management of water resources. It should support mainly lakes, ponds and polders, which at the time of richer precipitation will be filled with water. It would then be used for commercial purposes. Special attention should be granted to forests, marshes and wetlands. Such a system would also fulfil the function of flood protection. The Ministry of Environment in the words of spokesman Maroš Stano supports all efforts to stop climate change but adds that the problem needs to be addressed on a global level. Slovakia in this respect supports the policy of the European Union, which is considered to be a global green leader.
