Czech Republic on the brink of environmental disaster: Babis convenes emergency meeting

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis announced an urgent government meeting with the participation of experts and representatives of the agricultural sector. According to Czech radio, the main topic of the meeting will be the development of measures to combat the extreme drought that has engulfed the country.

The decision was made against the background of the critical situation with the Gusinets reservoir in the south of the republic, which for the first time in history completely dried up. The incident was the last straw that forced the authorities to act.

Three summer months in the Czech Republic was an abnormal heat. The air temperature has repeatedly risen above 40 degrees Celsius. The water level in major rivers, including the Labe (Elba) and Vltava, fell several meters, reaching a mark critical for navigation.

The agricultural sector suffers heavy losses. Farmers report crop losses in fields and gardens.

Opposition politicians sharply criticized the actions of the Cabinet. They said the government had "slept over" the start of the crisis and was too late to take adequate action this year.