Limburg bans using river water for irrigation due to drought

From Monday it is forbidden to extract water from streams and rivers in Noord- and Midden-Limburg to irrigate fields and pastures. The Limburg water board made this decision because of drought in the area, NOS reports.

Zuid-Limburg got a lot of rain and flooding over the past weeks, and the ban does not apply there. But in the north and middle of the province the water level dropped considerably due to a period of heat and drought, according to the water board.

"In the future we will increasingly see this kind of extreme weather conditions due to climate change", Har Frenken of Waterschap Limburg said, according to the broadcaster. "You already see an advancing desert in Spain and the south of France. Over 20 years we will have the same climate here. We have to think carefully about how to respond to that."

The water board hopes that this ban will prevent a further drop in the water level. According to 1Limburg, the ban will remain in force until October 1st, but may be lifted sooner if the water level is back up to standard.