Authorities in France’s seven major river basins have been told to enforce water restrictions as the government hammers out a crisis plan to tackle a drought exacerbated by the driest winter spell on record.
Ecological Transition Minister Christophe Béchu on Monday met with catchment area prefects tasked with preparing the country for inevitable “water scarcity problems” as ongoing lack of rainfall raises fears of a difficult year ahead.
Water is a precious commodity in France after a catastrophic drought in 2022 saw nearly all departments subjected to restrictions. Meanwhile July, the driest month in six decades, saw drinking water taps run dry in some 100 villages.
Fast forward to February 2023 – when the country hit 32 days without rain – and France’s groundwater table remains parched, with the absence of rain preventing the rivers and soils from replenishing.
'State of alert'
In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, Béchu warned the dry winter that followed the trauma of 2022 had thrown the nation into a “state of alert” for further drought this summer.
As a result, the catchment area prefects have been instructed to prepare for the worst and “start saving water now” by way of local restriction orders for both farmers and individual households.
"The situation is more serious than the same time last year, and we are two months behind on groundwater recharge," Béchu said, adding that up to 40 percent less water would be available in the coming years.
Four French departments – Isère, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Pyrénées-Orientales – are already under water restrictions, with residents told to avoid watering their gardens at certain times, filling their swimming pools or washing their cars.
Farmers, meanwhile, have been asked to cut down their water consumption by up to half.
Call for water 'sobriety'
At the Paris Agriculture Fair, which opened at the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron warned of an “end of abundance” when it comes to water.
“All of us – citizens, industrials, services, local communities, farmers – we must pay attention to this resource that is becoming scarce,” Macron said.
Water “sobriety” plans similar to those used to save energy would need to be put in place, Macron added.
France’s massive agriculture sector accounts for up to 80 percent of water consumption at the height of the summer, and is responsible for a fifth of the country’s carbon emissions.
The government says dozens of new agricultural hydraulic projects, including local reservoirs, are to be put into service by June.
However they have been met with strong opposition from locals who say they are an inappropriate stop-gap measure that maintains the need for high-level irrigation.
Climate links
Climatologist Jean Jouzel told RFI that France was ill-equipped to deal with climate change despite already warming by 1.7 degrees celsius – much faster than the global average.
“There are already tensions over irrigation in France,” Jouzel said. “We have to realise that less water will be available … especially on the Mediterranean rim where the flow of rivers will decrease.”
While experts say significant water savings can be made by modernising the country’s agricultural systems and introducing instruments to help farmers optimise water use, opponents argue such measures are expensive and will take time to implement.
As part of the government’s soon-to-be-presented drought action plan, Béchu said France would be looking to ramp up its wastewater recycling capacities – which make up only 1 percent of water resources – as well as the country’s ability to track pipe leakages.
Following his meeting with the seven catchment area prefects, Béchu is slated to sit down with all of France’s regional prefects on 6 March.
