“I measured 20°C in Greenland.” A famous researcher’s warning explains why Romania risks running out of water

Renowned paleoclimatologist Bogdan Onac has issued a stark warning about Romania's escalating water crisis, linking it directly to global climate change and the country's excessive water consumption. Onac, a researcher at the University of South Florida and an associate professor at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, highlighted alarming parallels between drought-stricken areas in the southwestern United States and parts of Romania, especially Oltenia.

Onac pointed to extreme weather events, such as the unusual 20°C recorded in Greenland, as evidence of profound climate shifts. He explained that regions like the southwestern U.S. and Oltenia are facing a chronic "negative balance" of water, where precipitation cannot replenish the water consumed. This imbalance has led to the accelerated depletion of large underground reservoirs, forcing deeper drilling for water sources that are increasingly scarce.

"We have entered a permanent negative balance," Onac stated in an analysis for "Adevărul." "The direct consequence is that large underground reservoirs have begun to deplete at an accelerated rate. People have continued to drill deeper, hoping to find new sources of drinking water, but the reality on the ground is relentless. In many places, there is simply no more water to extract. This is a structural depletion, a harsh lesson about what happens when you treat an exhaustible resource like a bottomless pit."

Eurostat data reveals that Romania uses over a third (33.9%) of its water resources, a figure significantly above the warning threshold of 20% and starkly contrasting with the European Union average of 5.8%. This high rate of usage, coupled with climate change impacts, places Romania among the most vulnerable European countries to water scarcity, with areas like Oltenia showing signs of desertification and the Black Sea coast also affected.

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We have entered a permanent negative balance. The direct consequence is that large underground reservoirs have begun to deplete at an accelerated rate. People have continued to drill deeper, hoping to find new sources of drinking water, but the reality on the ground is relentless. In many places, there is simply no more water to extract. This is a structural depletion, a harsh lesson about what happens when you treat an exhaustible resource like a bottomless pit.