Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

Severe summer drought and heat have dried rivers, lakes and fish ponds in Serbia, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Bosnia, killing thousands of fish. In Hungary, 1,588 ha of ponds dried, resulting in 280 t of dead fish and losses of 1.3 bn forints ($4.2 M). Romanian carp farms report cumulative losses from 2023-2024 droughts, while Czech and Bosnian producers implement feeding cuts, aeration, pond drainage and other emergency measures.