Due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, restrictions on water use have been introduced in almost all departments across the country. In the worst-affected areas, more than 80,000 people have been forced to receive drinking water by tanker trucks or in bottles. Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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According to France’s Ministry of Ecology, as of September 23, drinking water supplies were considered insufficient for approximately 1 million people. According to a ministry representative, more than 83,000 people were affected by emergency measures, including around 47,000 who receive water by tanker truck and approximately 33,000 who receive bottled water.
The water shortage has affected communities across France, with the Alps and the southeast of the country, as well as the southern regions, among the hardest hit. Restrictions on water use are in effect in almost all of the country’s departments. According to the Ministry for Ecological Transition, no cases of adverse health effects have been recorded, and the authorities are prioritizing the prevention of disruptions to the operations of hospitals, medical clinics, and care homes.
The lack of rainfall began in March and intensified after a record-hot summer, the state meteorological service Météo-France reports. In September, rainfall was 70% below normal, while across almost the entire country, soil dryness reached levels observed once a decade, French meteorologists said.
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The drought in France has already affected the country’s energy system, causing a record decline in nuclear power generation due to low river levels, which limited the ability to cool reactors, according to a BNEF analysis. The depletion of reservoirs and drying soil have reduced crop yields and threaten to extend the water shortage through 2027, analysts added.
The drought has spread across Western Europe. A prolonged lack of rainfall in September caused record-low water levels in the Rhine, leaving vessels stranded and driving up transport costs along this important waterway.