Drought in large parts of the country: winter drought has France under control

It hasn’t rained in France for more than a month – a record. Already in winter there are places without running water. And then there is the urgent question of how dramatic the situation will be in the summer.

Patrick Le Bris is relieved. Finally water comes out of the tap again. “But that’s not suitable for cooking, making coffee or brushing your teeth, we have to use bottled water for that,” says the resident of the small Pyrenees village of Oreilla in southwest France.

The place was in parts without running water. In the attic, which supplies the residents with water, there are only a few centimeters – much less than usual. Last week it was completely empty.

“The source is drying up. Only very little water is coming to us. Recently nothing came at all. That has never happened in winter,” says Mayor Éric Rodriguez. Now the tanker comes to supply the community.

Restrictions in several departments

The Pyrénées-Orientales department in south-west France is one of the most drought-hit regions in France. Restrictions on water use have been in place here since the drought last summer.

On February 22, they were tightened again. Residents in most communities are not allowed to water lawns or water their vegetable gardens here. Washing cars or cleaning the terrace is also prohibited.

Restrictions also apply in three other departments. For example, in the commune of Saint Zacharie in the Var department, which is home to around 5,000 people, the wells have been turned off.

The whole country affected

The whole country is struggling with severe drought. In many places, rivers and streams have dried up, such as the Huveaune near Marseille. Little more than a puddle remains of the Lac de Montbel in south-west France. “At this time last year, there was almost 50 million cubic meters of water in here. The water was up to the trees,” says Pierre Terpan, the mayor of Montbel.

Now the reservoir is only about 20 percent full. It is unimaginable that paddling or canoeing is normally possible here. “Last spring we had little water, then the dry and hot summer came and now the dry winter is causing us problems,” says reservoir operator Xavier Rouja.

The water level has also fallen on other lakes. At Lac de Vouglans in the Jura, it has even dropped by more than 18 meters.

Groundwater reserves have fallen

There has been no significant rainfall in France for more than a month – the longest on record. This was announced by the national weather service Météofrance.

The groundwater reserves could not be replenished as they usually are in winter. The rains in the months of September to March are decisive for this. After last year’s extreme drought, France fears a second summer of drought in a row – with corresponding consequences for vegetation and agriculture.

stress on vegetation

Davide Faranda, climate and environmental researcher at the national research center CNRS, observes that these periods of drought are becoming more and more frequent: “Since 2017 we have regularly experienced successive periods of drought.” Faranda clarifies: “If we humans are sick for a few days, we recover. On the other hand, if we are constantly ill, it is stress for the body. It is the same for the vegetation.”

At the same time, concerns about forest fires are increasing. In the southwest of the country there is a risk of particularly early and severe forest fires this year. “The fires could be more intense because they get more food,” said Stéphane Clerc from the Pyrénées-Orientales department, looking at the dry vegetation. In February, 60 hectares of vegetation burned near Perpignan, an extremely early stage for a forest fire in France.

Clear connection with climate change

According to researcher Davide Faranda, the increasing periods of drought are due to climate change: “The CO2 in the atmosphere increases temperatures. Like in a hot air balloon, the pressure increases. Such a high pressure area is exactly like a hot air balloon. If the temperature rises, it keeps pumping and lays over Europe. It takes up more space and a lot is more intense.”

This pushes back the precipitation. There have always been periods of drought, but not as intensively and extensively, according to the researcher.

Macron calls for savings

During his visit to the agricultural fair in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron announced measures: “We have to use our water better, prevent leaks in the network. We have to set up storage systems all over the country so that agriculture can continue to function.”

An estimated 20 percent of water seeps away in France because the pipe systems are too old or have leaks. There is still a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the treatment of process water. According to Macron, water must also be saved: “As with energy, we need a plan to save resources.” A national water plan is to be presented in March.

Decisive in the next few weeks

The precipitation over the next few weeks will now decide whether France will experience a situation that is as extreme or even worse as in the extreme summer of 2022.

“If a long period of drought is followed by a long period of rain, that’s not good for the vegetation either, because it means stress again,” explains researcher Faranda. Heavy rainfall is also a problem.

“Actually, we need some variety: a few days of rain and then a few days of nice weather.” But there is still hope that something will change this year. The situation is worrying, but, according to Faranda, all is not lost.