“More than a hundred municipalities in France today no longer have drinking water,” said French Minister for Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu on Friday, who described the drought as “historic” in the country. , as in other European countries.
• Read also: New heat wave over France and Spain
• Read also: Drought in the Netherlands: shortage in the “land of water”
In total, in metropolitan France, 93 out of 96 departments are subject to water restrictions to varying degrees and 62, or two thirds of the country, are “in crisis”.
In this highest level of alert, the watering of lawns, vehicles or the irrigation of crops are prohibited, as is the filling of bodies of water.
July 2022 was the second driest month ever recorded in France, after March 1961, with a rainfall deficit of around 84% compared to normal for the period 1991-2020.
In the hundred or so municipalities that lack drinking water in France, “there are supplies that are made with drinking water trucks that are transported (…) since there is nothing left in the pipes”, specified Christophe Béchu, during a trip to the south-east of the country. “The challenge is to tighten a number of restrictions to avoid getting there,” added the French minister.
Friday morning, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne activated an interministerial crisis unit, which is to meet during the day, faced with the “historic situation that many territories are going through”, announced Matignon.
Like France, many European countries are affected by a heat wave and drought. Thus, on Wednesday, the Dutch authorities decreed a “water shortage” and warned that new measures are being considered after the introduction of limits on agriculture and navigation.
Water shortages currently affect 11% of the EU population and 17% of its territory, but the situation is more worrying around the Mediterranean where around 50% of the population lives under constant water stress during the winter. ‘summer.
Droughts and water shortages are likely to become more frequent and severe in the future, the European Commission warned on Wednesday, which recommended member states learn how to reuse treated wastewater.
In addition, the multiplication of heat waves is a direct consequence of the climate crisis according to scientists, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing both in intensity, duration and frequency.