Czech drought leads to water-use bans and urges reduced lawn mowing

Severe drought conditions across the Czech Republic have prompted the water authority in Slany to impose a ban on extracting water from natural streams for garden irrigation, pool filling, car washing and other non‑essential uses. The restriction, which also covers more than fifty nearby villages, applies until further notice and is limited to entities with proper permits. Officials, including Dagmar Zusková, head of the municipal environmental department, report violations and urge residents to collect rainwater in barrels for any needed watering.

At the same time, the non‑profit organization Czech Krajina and its director Dalibor Dostál warn that frequent lawn mowing during heat waves accelerates grass desiccation. They recommend limiting mowing to when necessary and adopting practices such as mosaic mowing, which have been shown to increase plant diversity and improve grass resilience to extreme heat, while also supporting pollinators.