French President Emmanuel Macron has said that protests will not stop reforms as he sought to rally citizens around a plan to save water on Thursday, in what is a nod to both climate change and an unpopular pension bill.
Fixing leaking pipes, adapting the way farmers and the nuclear industry use water and making water more expensive for those who use it in excess of basic needs are included in the 50 measures under the water-saving plan.
“In the face of change, there are necessarily constraints, we must explain them, share them and make each and every one aware of their responsibilities,” Macron was quoted as saying.
This was the president’s first major policy announcement and public outing after weeks focused on the pension bill, which has triggered fierce protests across the country. With the water plan, Macron and his government are looking to move to other topics.
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The worst drought on record last summer sharpens the debate over water resources in the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer and has now made water a contentious topic in France.
Farmers in the country said they needed large reservoirs so they could water their crops this summer, while environmental groups say these waste water and are a way for farmers to confiscate a common good.
Some 58% of the water used in France goes to farming, 26% to drinkable water, 12% to cool down nuclear reactors and 4% goes to industrial uses.
In some towns, half the water is lost to water leaks, with a nationwide average of 20%. Macron said France would, as an emergency, devote 180 million euros ($196.31 million) to fixing leaks in the most at-risk towns, to upgrade networks.
Beyond this, other measures such as making water more expensive after basic needs are covered, aim to encourage people and businesses to use less, he said.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
