Overview
- UCL’s analysis of 2002–2024 GRACE data reports marked declines in terrestrial water storage from Spain and Italy through France, Germany and Poland to Romania and Ukraine.
- Northern and northwestern Europe, including Scandinavia and parts of the UK, show gains in stored water, underscoring a widening regional split.
- GRACE observations infer combined changes in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, soil moisture, groundwater and glaciers rather than direct point measurements.
- The underlying datasets for the new analysis have not yet been published or peer-reviewed, though the pattern is consistent with earlier peer‑reviewed GRACE research.
- Researchers warn of risks to farming, drinking supplies and ecosystems, noting EU figures that total withdrawals fell as groundwater use edged up to supply 62% of public water and a third of agricultural demand, and they urge conservation, reuse and network upgrades as large reservoirs face long lead times.