GEOGRAPHY. A place with abundant water and a contrast to my normal: A short look at the Geography of Germany

by Nomvo Faith Kasolo

"Water is the basis of our existence on the planet we live on", if I had one euro for every time I heard this statement or anything close to it I would have enough money to buy myself good coffee every day for the entire period of this trip. Although it is such a simple phrase, it holds much truth in it. Water makes up about 70% of Earth, therefore we cannot talk about the geography of any place and leave it out which is why this article will focus on it. The 70% sounds like a large number, but the reality of things is that there are many places on earth which are facing the bitter end of the stick, with often very little or no water. This of course is because a large proportion (68%) of this number is ocean water. Fresh water which is of great importance to us makes up only 3%, but 2.6% of this is trapped in icecaps and glaciers leaving us with only 0.4% of drinkable water. These figures can be quite depressing I must admit. However, in my time in Germany, I am glad to testify that Germany is not among the places with the bitter end of the stick which is something I found to be in contrast to many provinces in South Africa. 
Provinces such as the Western Cape and Eastern Cape are among those that have been severely impacted by the drought which South Africa is currently facing. The drought came with many water restrictions for residents of the provinces, like the famous 2-minute shower rule and 50 litres per person water consumption rule. As a person studying in Stellenbosch, Western Cape for the period of 2017 and 2018 I can attest to how difficult it was for many to suddenly have to make lifestyle changes to be more water conscious; a lifestyle that you would expect to be second nature, but hey that's a topic for another day.

So how is it that Germany enjoys abundant water and cannot fully relate to my South African struggle? The answer can be found when looking at the geospatial aspects of the country. Germany has a total territorial cover of 357021 square kilometers, with a total water cover in the form of rivers and lakes being 779 square kilometers and is geographical positioned in West-Central Europe. It shares borders with nine other countries, namely: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nertherlands. 
A simple look at a German map reveals the numerous water sources in Germany, but the question is why are there so many? The river system in Germany can be summarized by three main rivers: The Rhine ~865km; Elbe ~ 727km German section and Danube ~687 km. All the other rivers in Germany flow into or out of these three. It's a complex yet fascinating river system. It is also worth mentioning that Germany's Lake Constance is the 2nd largest lake in Europe in terms of volume after Lake Geneva. The river system of Germany is only made of perennial rivers, which simply means that rivers here flow all year long and rarely have a dry season, which is again a contrasting thing when looking at South Africa. I found myself pondering on whether Germany was just lucky or what? After a session with Dr Joachim Lerchenmuller on German Geography I now understand that the Germans have their peculiar climate to thank for all this water.

One aspect of the climate which was exciting for me to experience is the difference in seasons between SA and Germany, with winter being the most prominent. A typical German winter is characterized by a snowing season which is not the case for SA. Snow as we know is a form of water, therefore the more snow you have the more water you will have. So much more can be said about the German geography but the purpose of this article was to highlight only a few factors.

As a final thought, I have found that Germany is an interesting place to look at when talking about water. For the first time in a while, I could drink water directly from the tap without worrying and why is this? Germany invested a lot of money into ensuring water quality during the same period it was growing its industries, which was a remarkable decision. It took years to get the current results but I am fully convinced that if one country could do it so can many other countries. Call me optimistic or whatever, but I foresee a future where Africa will have the same results; All in good time.