Stream and river minimum flow levels may go down by up to 40% and periods of water deficiency may increase up to 80% due to climate change alone in the Iberian Peninsula, south of France, Italy and the Balkans.

Higher temperatures not only result in more water being evaporated from soils, trees and bodies of water, but also lead to more frequent and prolonged dry spells, reducing water supply and worsening droughts.

These results, by researchers from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and the University of Kassel in Germany, were published on Friday.

Drought is a major natural disaster that can have considerable impacts on society, the environment and the economy.

In Europe alone, the cost of drought over the past three decades has amounted to over 100 billion Euros.

The emission scenario used in the study predicts that average global temperature will increase by up to 3.4°C by 2100, relative to the period 1961-1990. But the authors warn the warming projected for Europe, particularly its southern regions, is even stronger.

"Over the Iberian Peninsula, for example, summer mean temperature is projected to increase by up to 5°C by the end of this century," the study said.

In addition to climate warming, intensive water use will further aggravate drought conditions by 10-30% in southern Europe, as well as in the west and centre of the continent, and in some parts of the UK.

In the new study, the researchers wanted to find out if and where in Europe increasing temperatures and intensive water consumption could make future droughts more severe and long-lasting.

"Our research shows that many river basins, especially in southern parts of Europe, are likely to become more prone to periods of reduced water supply due to climate change," said Giovanni Forzieri, a researcher.