"The wars of the future will be fought over water," predicted former UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali as early as 1985. Climate change and the growing world population are now bringing this scenario closer. The hot and dry summers from 2018 to 2020 have also caused groundwater levels to drop in some regions of Germany, threatening ecosystems, drinking water supplies and viticulture. But there are strategies to counteract the impending "desertification" of dry regions. One concept that is particularly promising in vineyards is permaculture.