Four French departments impose water restrictions due to drought

February 26, 2023, 4:15 p.m. – Public Information Service – TEH –

All indicators of France’s water supply for the next agricultural season are at an “alarming point”. This statement was made on Sunday in an interview with the Sunday Journal of the French Minister of Environmental Transformation Christophe Bechu.

“This February was the driest month since 1959,” the minister said, adding that widespread water restrictions could be introduced in the country as early as March. On Monday, Bechu intends to convene a meeting with the prefects on drought issues.

In addition, it is planned to create an inter-ministerial working group to monitor the situation and organize preventive measures. At present, water use restrictions have already been introduced in four departments and ten other departments are under surveillance.

“The situation this time is more serious than this time last year, and we are two months behind in replenishing groundwater tables,” Beshu said.

The threat of drought had already been announced in the United States. Climatologists reminded that already about 65% of the country’s mainland is in one way or another experiencing difficulties caused by the consequences of the drought that swept the country.