Tag: Drought

Counting on … day 102

12th October 2026

Droughts and river transport

Many countries – including the USA, European countries bordering the Rhine and those bordering rivers that flow into the Black Sea – rely on river transport for the movement of goods, as well as for tourism via cruises. When river levels are low, transport is disrupted. Ships may have to operate within a narrow central channel causing traffic jams, or goods may have to be transferred to shallower vessels. Locks which regulate the flow may be opened and closed less frequently delaying shipping. (1) Even the Panama Canal has been affected by low water levels disrupting international shipping. 

The UK has a network of small canals which are equally adversely affected by drought. But they also play an important role in maintaining water levels in rivers, including transferring water between river basins. About 40% of Bristol’s drinking water comes via the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

  1. https://www.itf-oecd.org/droughts-river-transport
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/15/panama-canal-traffic-cut-trade-drought-el-nino?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

( 3) https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/our-cause/threats-to-our-waterways/climate-change/nine-ways-canals-can-fight-climate-change/water-transfers

Counting on … day 101

8th October 2026

Droughts and energy supplies

The German language has a lovely word to describe those days when there is neither sunshine nor wind to power renewable energy – Dunkelflaute. We are probably less aware of the impact that drought can have on energy supplies.

Hydro power clearly is dependent on a sufficient fall or flow of water to drive the turbines. During periods of low river flow, less energy can be produced. (Tidal power is not affected but would I imagine be affected by storms which might overwhelm the system.)

Nuclear power relies on water for cooling. In the UK nuclear power stations are located by the coast and use sea water for cooling, but many nuclear power stations in Europe use river water for cooling. During droughts they are therefore adversely effected with low river levels, but equally when the river volume is low, it is not possible to return the cooling water to the river because the heat of this water cannot be sufficiently dissipated by the river water to ensure the wellbeing of river wildlife.

Gas and coal power stations steam water to drive the turbines – if there are several water shortages, this will impact their ability to produce electricity.

As consumers we can 

  1. support a range of renewable energy sources through utilising a green electricity tariff (a mix of solar, hydro and wind seems to be the ideal especially if combined with battery storage). 
  2. Aim to minimise the amount of energy we need to use, and by limiting our consumption of consumer goods – joy in enough (1) – to help curtail industrial demand for both water and energy.
  1. https://greenchristian.org.uk/introduction/action/joy-in-enough/
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/27/lessons-from-enoughfluencers-how-to-live-happier-simpler-life?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
  3. https://roedean.co.uk/blog/roedean-environmentalism-needs-pleasure-not-just-alarm-sustainability-lead/

Counting on … day 100

7th October 2026

Water use and fashion

Across Europe each persons buys on average 19kg of clothes a year – and throws away 12kg. Given that little if that is recycled is of its self a concern, but alongside that consider the environmental footprint of each person’s new clothes: 323 square meters of farmland, 523 kg of raw materials (including various chemicals used to make dyes, elastic, coatings, zips etc), and 12000 litres of water. (1) 

Droughts are clearly a problem for farmers growing cotton (less so for those growing hemp or flax which are less thirsty crops). They can also be a problem for manufacturers if the cost of water and of raw material goes up – manufacturing and dying cloth is highly water intensive. Such costs are more likely to affect those manufacturing cheap clothes – and it is likely that one area of cost saving might be in reducing labour costs which is not good for vulnerable workers.

We as consumers clearly have a role to play – we can choose to buy fewer clothes (and repair, reuse or redesign what we have) and we can choose to buy second hand clothes – and donate what we don’t need. We can, if it is within our budget, choose to buy good quality clothes that will last. 

We can also campaign against fast fashion, supporting groups such as Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, Transform Trade etc.

(1) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20201208STO93327/fast-fashion-eu-laws-for-sustainable-textile-consumption

Further information:-

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/oxfam-blog/the-water-cost-of-fast-fashion-a-crisis-of-climate-change-inequality-what-we-can-do-about-it/
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/fast-fashion-end-exploitation-big-business
https://www.wwf.org.uk/challenges/less-more
Home
https://www.transform-trade.org/fashion

Counting on … day 99

6th October 2026

For farmers adaptation may involve building new  reservoirs on their land to store more water  – this is what they did on the Elveden Estate but despite adding a 500,000 cubic metres reservoir to their exit 700,000 cubic metres storage capacity, they still reached a point if no more water for further irrigation. (1)

To help fill reservoirs, farmers may need new permits to allow them to abstract water from rivers during the wetter winter months – rather than doing so in the hotter dryer summer months. Reservoirs can also host floating solar panels! (2)

Some farmers are experimenting with restoring wetlands -such as water meadows, creating or restoring ponds, and re-wiggling rivers to keep more water on their land when it rains which both helps reduce flooding in the winter and keeping ground water levels higher in the summer.(3)

Another approach is to grow different crops that are more drought resistant, or to use different farming methods such as planting shade crops, sylviculture, smart irrigation techniques etc. Another consideration is to shift growing crops dependent on large amounts of water to a wetter region of the country. (4)

We as consumers can be part of the change: be willing to buy and eat different fruits and vegetables; eating more home grown vegetables (rather than relying on the produce of other drought challenged countries); eating less meat and dairy  – both being large consumers of water.

(1) https://www.farmersguide.co.uk/machinery/drainage-irrigation/elveden-reservoir-water-security/

(2) https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/20/tackling-drought-aquifer-recharging-to-smart-irrigation-trials/

(3) https://www.lancswt.org.uk/blog/what-wetter-farming

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/21/somerset-rewilding-holnicote-estate-wetlands-rivers-resilience?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

(4) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/27/most-of-uks-essential-food-supply-grown-in-drought-risk-areas-report-warns?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 96

1st October 2026

Olive oil is listed as the fifth food that will cost more this winter as a result of the extreme climate events and the ongoing conflicts around the world. Whilst olive trees are a native Mediterranean plant that is adapted to the Mediterranean climate, they do need a certain amount of moisture to grow and produce fruit.  Recent droughts, excessive heat and a proliferation of pests, has reduced the harvest, whilst in Spain wildfires and earlier in late winter,  storms and heavy rain in late winter caused both damage and loss of trees. Reduced harvests like this will lead to increased costs for the consumer. 

Of course there are alternative cheaper oils that we can use such as rapeseed oil. The rapeseed harvest has been better than previous years, benefitting from the large amounts of sunshine. 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/04/price-olive-oil-expected-rise-again-european-crops-heat-drought-wildfires?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 95

30th September 2026

The Conversation(1) identifies bread as the fourth food item whose cost is rising. “Arable farmers growing field crops such as wheat do not irrigate their crops but rely on the right amount of rain at the right time of year. This year’s long summer drought meant that UK wheat yields have fallen significantly below recent averages. But wheat only makes up about 10% of the overall cost of an average loaf of bread. Increases in pricing are also being driven by energy prices and other overheads passed onto bakeries, which need to power huge mills to produce flour and heat ovens to bake bread. This means a poor harvest is one of many factors likely to inflate the price of bread over the coming months.”

Like potatoes, bread is both a staple in our diets but also one of the foods most frequently thrown away. Again this may reflect its relatively low price (more so in the case of sliced pre-packed bread than premium freshly baked loaves) and a general attitude that it is ‘only’ bread. 

Sliced pre-packed is typically full of chemicals that prolongs its life but even so it will go mouldy if not eaten within a certain time frame – yet for small households the economy of buying a large loaf may outweigh the benefits of  a smaller loaf. 

In countries outside the UK it is more usual to buy fresh bread daily – and thus to patronise a local bakery where fresh bread is produced daily. (But even that is a reality that is in decline perhaps because there are fewer people willing to take on the unsocial hours of a baker, and the unwillingness of people to pay a price that reflect a fair wage for the baker when a cheaper option is abating the supermarket). 

All this suggests that we may need to value bread more highly, and appreciate it as a more than a filler but as a tasty nutritious part of our diet.

Here we might want to reflect on the comparisons between the nutritional value of a sliced pre-packed loaf which has been rushed through its production and filled with numerous additives to compensate, and bread that is made by traditional methods using just flour, water, yeast and a little salt. For more information see https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250704-sourdough-vs-white-sliced-which-breads-should-we-be-eating and through the Real Bread Campaign https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/ourwork/

At the same time, we may need to ensure we store our bread well – https://www.fob.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FS18-Keeping-Bread-Fresh-03-18.pdf – who don’t using paper bags or – https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/how-to-store-bread/ – who do! I personally store home made bread in cotton bags (washing each before reuse) and freeze bread wrapped in bees wax wrap.

And ensure we make good use of left over or stale bread.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/09/20-recipe-ideas-leftover-bread
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/stale_bread_recipes

NB in many cases where egg is used there will be a vegan option, eg: https://tinandthyme.uk/2021/04/vegan-savoury-bread-pudding/

We might also want to give due credit to the skills of bakers and millers, and support local independent bakers as part of our community: 

“More jobs per loaf

“A small, independent bakery offers meaningful, skilled baking jobs to people from YOUR local community. Very simply put, each time you buy from one, you are helping to support more jobs per loaf.

“Supporting your high street

“As well as supporting meaningful jobs for local people, each time you spend money with locally-owned businesses, far more of that is likely to be reinvested locally. Where would you rather see your money go – supporting your neighbours and keeping your high street alive, or lining the pockets of the shareholders of huge national – or even multinational – corporations?” https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/supermarkets/

As regards millers, you might want to check any that are local to you – https://www.sourdough.co.uk/british-artisan-flour-mills-by-region/ I buy our flour from Fosters Mill in Cambridgeshire which is wind-powered. 

Nevertheless there is still an issue around cost. Good bread should be an affordable food for everyone. Either the cost of making good bread needs to be subsidised or society needs to ensure that everyone has a sufficient biscuits income that makes good bread affordable.

This scheme is one tackling this issue – https://scotlandthebread.org/2021/01/29/solidarity-stories-bread-communities-working-together-for-equal-access-to-good-food/

Maybe this – https://communitychef.org.uk/what-are-bread-clubs/ or this – https://breadtogether.org.uk/

(1) https://theconversation.com/five-foods-that-could-cost-even-more-this-winter-and-why-292419?utm_campaign=the-daily-39638&utm_content=the-daily-39638_uk%7C2%7C39638%7C41ea8a7e&utm_medium=email&utm_source=braze&utm_term=Five+foods+that+could+cost+even+more+this+winter+%E2%80%93+and+why

Counting on … day 94

29th September 2026

Leafy greens are the third item listed as a food that will cost more this winter as a result of the extreme climate events and the ongoing conflicts around the world.

Leafy greens need a lot of water – think how much water there is in a lettuce leaf! Many leafy greens are also susceptible to fluctuations in available water: too little water one day cannot be compensated for by extra water the next. Either the plant will die or it may shoot up quickly and go to seed, or its growth will be uneven. Cabbages with thick green leaves cope better than delicate lettuce leaves. Cut-and- come lettuces do better than head forming lettuces. Sprouting broccoli does better than Calabrese, whilst cauliflowers can suffer sunburn! 

Again we can’t necessarily rely on importing leafy greens from Europe when our crops run short – although,  as reported below, countries like Spain already have in place better infrastructure for efficient irrigation. We may have to adapt to eating a different spectrum of green leafy vegetables. Equally we might look to growing some at home – and even without a garden we can grow herbs, sprouting seeds and mustard and cress.

For some leafy greens, there maybe technological alternatives such as vertical growing – https://canadawater.co.uk/latest/news/harvest-london-at-canada-water/ – or – as demonstrated in Germany,  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/11/supermarket-salad-rooftop-garden-berlin?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other – growing salads on top of the supermarket where they are to be sold! 

Alternative drought tolerant vegetables – https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/grow-your-own/crops-to-beat-heat-and-drought

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/01/uk-importing-vegetabless-drough-heat-hit-british-crops-price-rises?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/14/how-england-summer-heatwave-affecting-farm-animals-crops?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 93

28th September 2026

The second item listed in the Conversation as one of five foods that are going to cost more this winter as a result of extreme weather events, global conflict etc, as potatoes. Potatoes as a crop need a lot of water – which is perhaps why they became a staple food crop in Ireland with its typically heavier rainfall. Whilst low rainfall over the last few years has caused an increase in prices, this summer’s drought will be impactful. And as the drought has been Europe wide, it will not be easy to import potatoes to make up this year low yield.  Potatoes also need fertile soils. For none-organic farmers, this year’s increased cost of fertilisers, will also be pushing up prices to the consumer. 

However potato is one of the foods most frequently thrown away as waste. This might be because potatoes have typically been a cheap food. If too much is cooked for a meal, it easy to throw away. If a plate is overfull, we probably eat the more interesting foods and leave the potato. And if we don’t store the potatoes well, they can start sprouting or go mouldy. This issue maybe accentuated if we end up buying a larger bag than we need – either because the larger bag is better value or because there are small bags or no option to buy loose potatoes.

It maybe that the increasing cost of potatoes will encourage us to value them more. We can:

In times of drought 

22nd August 2026

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Leviticus 26:19

You Lord, our the source of all wisdom:

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Haggai 1:5-6, 9b-11

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’

‘Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.  Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labour of your hands.’

Patient God, 

have mercy on us for our foolishness.

We ignored the rising temperatures 

and the extreme weather events,

thinking it would not affect us.

We did not heed the warning signs:

we lived as if there would always be more water, 

as if we could have enough water to wash our cars and patios, 

grow crops and fodder, feed cattle and cool data centres.

Patient God, 

have mercy on us for our pride, 

our desire for greater riches, 

our confidence that economic growth was the only way.

We were sure we were in control: 

that we could buy fast fashion and disregard its ecological footprint, 

that we could eat meat and not consider where cattle food came from, 

that we could enjoy lives of luxury without being mindful of the poor.

Patient God, 

have mercy on us for our arrogance, 

our certainty that we had all the answers, 

that nature would always be at our beck and call.

The future was ours and we were kings: 

we could extract more and more from the planet – and not give back, 

we had the technology that would provide all the answers, 

we had no need for restraint!

God of recreation, 

renew your spirit within us.

May we learn from your wisdom ways of caring for the land, 

ways to conserve precious water, 

and ways to live joyfully within limits of the planet. 

God of restoration, 

renew your spirit within us.

May we find true happiness that comes from joy not financial gain, 

that comes from discerning the true value of all we consume, 

and that seeks fulfilment in the wellbeing of others.

God of reformation, 

renew within us your spirit. 

May we respect the gifts of nature, 

learning to give a well as take, 

and returning to a life lived within the natural environment. 

Amen. 

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3 3 

Counting on 2026 …. Day 50

29th May

Caring for our water system is about caring for the environment and helping ensure that the system is resilient. Increasingly our weather is going to comprise wet winters with period heavy rainfall, and hot dry summers. 

Collecting rainwater in water butts helps in two ways. The obvious way is by providing a supply of water for the times when there is little rain – this can be used for watering the garden, or in times of real drought, can be used to flush toilet etc. 

The second way is to relieve pressure on the water drainage system by delaying the sudden rush of water into the system. This does presume your butts re empty before the storm comes – so there maybe some necessary preparation work before hand. You can install a water butt which releases one half of its content slowly over time leaving spare capacity for more water – https://uk.getwatersmart.com/product/buttinabox-butt-in-a-box-200l-waterbutt-kit-354

Or you can get  smart water butt! https://aquaiot.co.uk/smart-water-butts-rainwater-defence-against-flooding/)

Further reading – https://climateconnectionsplymouth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Slow-the-Flow-booklet-FINAL4.pdf