Foreign
GERMAN Environment Minister Steffi Lemke plans to improve the water quality of Germany’s rivers after tonnes of dead fish washed up on the shores of the Oder River in the country’s east.
“I will soon be discussing the poor water quality in almost all German waters with the environment ministers of the federal states,’’ Lemke told dpa in an interview published on Tuesday.
“The Oder disaster shows us very clearly how persistently high summer temperatures can exacerbate environmental problems,’’ she said, adding that the results of investigations into the causes of the fish deaths would be presented on September 30.
He said that tonnes of dead fish and shellfish started washing up on the shores of the German-Polish border river in August.
Lemke had previously summarised the causes as “heat, low water levels and man-made discharges.’’
“Of course, we have to wait for the results of the expert investigation to draw concrete conclusions.
“But one thing is already clear: We need a new, common understanding of the consequences of heat and drought and what can still be expected of our waters.
“If we don’t see the disaster on the Oder as a wake-up call, we will probably experience several more such disasters.
“Long-lasting high water temperatures in flowing waters, also in dammed flowing waters, as well as low water levels can apparently increase the effect of pollutants,’’ she said. (dpa/NAN)
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Tags: Steffi Lemke
