Babiš calls emergency coalition meeting as Czech reservoir dries up

Prime Minister Babiš announced an additional meeting of the National Coalition for Drought Fight on October 12, citing the continuation of extreme dryness. The coalition, which was reinstated in August after a heat wave reduced river flows to near-record lows, will assess current measures and determine further actions. Horní Vltava director Jiří Baloun reported that the Husinec reservoir on the Prachatice basin can now only discharge incoming water, ceasing to aid the Blanice River, with water levels dropping several meters.

The South Bohemian Region has declared a regional drought, allowing more flexible reservoir releases. Following the August session, the coalition plans to map 500-1000 critical water-loss sites and evaluate drought-response programs. The cabinet intends to spend four billion crowns on linking water networks, retaining water in the landscape, building small reservoirs, ponds, and irrigation infrastructure.