France faces ‘unprecedented’ water curbs after driest winter since 1959 | – #France #faces #unprecedented #water #curbs #driest #winter
PARIS, Feb 22 (Reuters) – French Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said on Wednesday it was preparing to impose restrictions on water use in parts of the country from March, in an unprecedented move after the driest winter in 64 years.
According to the forecaster Meteo-France, France There has been no rain for 32 days.
Irrigation and irrigation are already restricted in 87 municipalities in the south, which usually occurs in summer rather than winter, and meetings with officials on Friday and Monday will consider extending that, Bechu said.
“This is an unprecedented event at this time of the year,” the minister told Franceinfo. “France is in a state of excitement.”
Bechu did not specify the possible measures, but said they would be “soft” and would be taken on a case-by-case basis if needed in a particular area to avoid tougher, emergency measures closer to the summer.
As an example, he said, in some areas, the filling of swimming pools may be restricted.
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in France hydro reserves are lower than last year, the second lowest in a decade, and snowpack in the Alps is also lower than in 2022, a particularly dry year.
“In general, we expect lower hydropower production and lower river levels in the spring and summer,” said Jean-Paul Harreman, director of consulting firm EnAppSys BV.
Meteo-France said rainfall over the next three months would be crucial for groundwater and rivers to return to their normal pre-summer levels.
All but three months from August 2021 have a rainfall deficit.
Europe The largest in the Union village farmers in the agricultural sector are watching to see if Wednesday’s forecasted rye showers will ease the drought ahead of the spring growing season.
According to the farm office FranceAgriMer, while cereal crops planted before winter are in good shape, there are concerns that spring-planted crops such as maize and sugar beet may suffer from water stress similar to last year’s drought.
The drought has led growers to increase plantings of winter crops such as wheat, leaving less room for spring varieties this year, the agricultural union FNSEA said.
“Farmers have already adapted their crops,” FNSEA president Christian Lambert told reporters on Tuesday.
Reporting by Marine Strauss in Brussels, Gus Trompiz and Forrest Crellin in Paris Editing by Ingrid Melander and Mark Potter
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-22 19:54:55
Source – reuters
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