Germany rehearses consequences of extreme drought
Authorities, emergency services and businesses jointly test how a prolonged crisis can be tackled.
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Germany is holding a nationwide crisis exercise on extreme drought and heat in November. According to the Bundeswehr, authorities, aid organisations, infrastructure companies and the Bundeswehr are practising how to keep vital services running if water shortages affect several sectors at once.
According to the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, the exercise is called LÜKEX 26 and is being coordinated by that organisation. The organisation says it is not a forecast of one specific disaster, but a test of crisis procedures during a prolonged combination of heat and drought.
In the scenario, water shortages may affect drinking water, agriculture, energy production, industry and transport. The German government is therefore chiefly examining how different levels of government share information and set priorities when not everyone can be fully served at the same time.
The Bundeswehr writes that the exercise will take place in November and that federal and state services, aid organisations and operators of critical infrastructure will take part. It is a simulation: the results do not mean that Germany is currently experiencing such a crisis.
The exercise may also be relevant to the Netherlands, for example in preparing for possible consequences of drought for water levels, shipping, agriculture and energy. Prolonged drought in Germany could also affect the availability of cooling water, raw materials and transport capacity, even if Dutch water reserves themselves are not under the same pressure.
The central question after the exercise is which powers and facilities need to be arranged in advance. A simulation can reveal bottlenecks, but it does not yet prove that authorities, businesses and emergency services can manage a real prolonged drought without problems. That will require the evaluation and any policy measures that follow.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Germany is holding a nationwide crisis exercise on drought and heat.
- The exercise is coordinated by the BBK.
- Several levels of government and vital-sector companies are taking part.
- The scenario is not a current drought measurement.
Left
Arguments Wants climate risks to lead to stronger public planning, water protection and protection for vulnerable households.
Values Collective responsibility, climate adaptation and equal access to basic services.
Consequences Fears that market forces alone will not distribute water and energy fairly enough during shortages.
Centre
Arguments Sees crisis exercises as necessary preparation and wants each risk to be assessed afterwards to determine which measures are proportionate.
Values Practical feasibility, institutional cooperation and efficiency.
Consequences Emphasises that preparation costs money, but the failure of vital infrastructure could be much more expensive.
Right
Arguments Emphasises national resilience, clear powers and the responsibility of businesses and citizens.
Values Self-reliance, security and decisive government action.
Consequences Fears that too many new rules could restrict innovation and economic activity.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The exercise, its participants and the distinction between the scenario and a current measurement are directly based on German government sources. No current drought figures have been added to the article.
- confirmed Germany is holding LÜKEX 26 on drought and heat in November 2026. — Confirmed by the BBK and the Bundeswehr. source
- confirmed Federal services, states, aid organisations and infrastructure companies are taking part. — Mentioned by the Bundeswehr. source
- confirmed The exercise is not a measurement of a current crisis. — According to the sources, it is a crisis-management exercise. source
Editor's note
The exercise and the scenario have been confirmed by German government sources. The scenario is not a measurement of a current German drought crisis.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „droogte hitte”
- Trouw — „droogte hitte”
- RTL Nieuws — „droogte hitte”