Case study: the impact of drought in the UK (2004)

The years 2004-06 were one of the driest periods on record in the UK.

Southeast England is particularly vulnerable to drought because it has a high population density. There are 13 million people living in the region and the demand for water resources is high. There are few reservoirs, which means there is a heavy reliance on groundwater supplies. Two consecutive dry winters meant that these supplies were not replenished.

Drought warning in Devon

• Hose-pipe bans were introduced in an effort to conserve water.
• Groundwater fell to its lowest level on record.
• Some rivers dried up.
• Low river flow meant that pollution had a greater impact on the environment.
• Fish were more likely to die because of low flow, low oxygen levels and higher water temperatures.
• Kew Gardens introduced a range of measures to conserve water, eg only watering newly planted trees and newly turfed areas.

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