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Water crisis 2050: Baden-Württemberg in alarm mode because of climate change!
On July 15, 2025, Environment Minister Thekla Walker explains the water supply in Baden-Württemberg and its challenges until 2050.
Water crisis 2050: Baden-Württemberg in alarm mode because of climate change!
Climate change has significant impacts on the water supply in Baden-Württemberg. Forecasts indicate that by 2050, around half of municipalities will no longer be able to meet their water needs during peak periods. This emerges from an ongoing study by the Ministry of the Environment, which analyzes water supplies in cities and towns reported.
Environment Minister Thekla Walker (Greens) will soon present the individual results of the study in Stuttgart. The water supply master plan provides for a comprehensive analysis of the existing infrastructure in order to ensure the long-term security of the water supply. So far, 25 districts have already been examined and the remaining districts will follow shortly.
Acute challenges and causes
The groundwater situation in the southwest is already tense in 2023 and has serious deficiencies that are worse than in the well-known dry years of 2003 and 2018. This new situation is comparable to the conditions of the dry year 2020 and particularly affects the karst areas of the Swabian Alb and the highlands of the Black Forest. However, there are currently no bottlenecks in the public water supply, which is due to the current situation.
The water supply master plan also provides for the creation of a detailed water quantity balance by 2050. Spring discharges and groundwater levels are recorded and a variety of long-term observations, stress tests and climate projections are used to assess future water supply leads.
Future prospects
As part of this comprehensive analysis, forecasts are made regarding population development and future drinking water requirements. Peak demand during heat periods is particularly taken into account. The significant withdrawals by large consumers from the public water network and relevant groundwater uses from industry, commerce and agriculture also play a crucial role. The aim is to determine the additional water requirements for each municipality, taking into account base load and peak load cases.
The results of the current studies are expected next year and are of great importance for planning water supply at a time when climate change is increasingly having noticeable effects.