France environment minister, Christophe Bechu has said the country is preparing to introduce restrictions on water use in parts of the country from March, in what is an unprecedented move for the time of year following the driest winter it recorded in 64 years.
Weather forecaster Meteo-France said France has recorded 32 days without rain and Bechu said watering and irrigation is already restricted in 87 municipalities in the south, which usually happens in summer, not winter, and meetings with officials on Friday and Monday will look at extending this.
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“It’s unprecedented” at this time of year, the minister told broadcaster Franceinfo. “France is in a state of alert.”
However, Bechu did not spell out the possible measures albeit he hinted that they would be “soft” ones, and would be taken on a case by case basis when needed in a specific area to avoid having to take tougher, emergency measures closer to the summer.
Hydro stocks are low in France compared to last year, the second lowest over ten years, and the quantity of snow in the Alps is also low in comparison with 2022, which was a particularly dry year.
“Overall, we expect low hydro power production and river levels lower for the spring and summer,” Jean-Paul Harreman, director of EnAppSys BV consultancy said.
Since August 2021, all months but three have had a rain deficit and Meteo-France said the rainfall for the next three months would be crucial for groundwater and rivers returning to their usual levels ahead of the summer.
Story was adapted from India Today.
