The drought in France is now a permanent phenomenon, the country is in a state of alert. Water restrictions are to apply from March. Otherwise, "catastrophic situations" would threaten in the summer, warns the Minister for the Environment.
France has hit a new high with 32 straight days without rain. This is the longest period of time without significant precipitation since measurements began in 1959, the French weather service said. Most recently, there were 31 rain-free days in a row in 2020, albeit a little later in the year. In winter, when the groundwater level should rise again, the lack of rain is particularly threatening. "Climate change means that water reserves in France are falling by 15 to 40 percent," Environment Minister Christophe Béchu told FranceInfo. The minister called for more careful use of water. "We have a culture of waste," Béchu said.
Less than one percent of the water used is recycled in France, in Spain it is 20 times more. In addition, about a fifth of drinking water is lost through leaks. In some areas, up to 70 percent of the drinking water was lost through leaks. Next Monday he wants to discuss possible restrictions with the prefects, which should apply from March, said the minister. This is necessary "to prevent us from being in catastrophic situations towards the summer," he emphasized. The groundwater level, which usually rises in winter, is already two months late. "France is on alert," he said.
According to the findings of scientists, the increasing frequency and intensity of drought periods is a consequence of man-made climate change. France had already suffered from a major drought last summer. The drought is now a permanent phenomenon in France: Since August 2021, with the exception of three months, less rain has fallen every month than was previously the case on average. Persistent periods of drought lead, among other things, to the groundwater level sinking, drinking water becoming scarce in some areas and farmers having to fear lower harvests.
Water scarcity is already leading to bottlenecks and conflicts. In the western French department of Landes, around a thousand farmers demonstrated to defend their claim to the previous amount of water and to demand the construction of reserve reservoirs. Several villages in the Ardèche and Massif Central regions are already being supplied with drinking water by tanker. In the Pyrenees, some reservoirs such as Montbel in Ariège are only 20 to 30 percent full, and the surroundings are reminiscent of a lunar landscape.
In Picardy, north of Paris, farmers worry about growing chicory lettuce and potatoes. Environmentalists also criticize the use of snow cannons, which are particularly busy during the winter holidays and consume a lot of water.
