“July 2022 is the driest month we have had since July 1959. Only 7.8 mm of water fell. We have an 88% rainfall deficit compared to what would have been necessary”said Monday, August 1 on franceinfo Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, as a new episode of heat wave began in the south of France before heading north on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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franceinfo: Have we reached drought records?
Christophe Bechu: July 2022 is the driest month we have had since July 1959. Only 7.8 mm of water fell. We have a rainfall deficit of 88% compared to what would have been necessary. An aggravating factor, we have the start of a heat wave which means that you have a drought which reduces water resources and a heat wave which increases demand.
“We are in a critical situation, this is a new sign that global warming is not a fad but a reality that is taking hold.
Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transitionat franceinfo
This episode shows that awareness, mobilization and the implementation of decisions already taken are needed.
Should we review our objectives?
There are decisions that have been made and are being implemented. There was an agricultural water Varenne a year ago for which all the measures have not been taken. A few weeks ago, 100 million euros were released under the water agencies to support territorial resilience measures and there are restriction orders all over the territory. But there are other kinds of decisions to be made. Water management goes through master plans that make ecological planning. We are talking about 13 billion that will be spent over the next five years, in particular to go towards reductions in consumption, the reuse of waste water, the fight against leaks. 20% of what is produced in our drinking water plants leaks. The fight against the waterproofing of our cities, this will allow the recharging of the water tables. There are solutions, they must be implemented with an intensity, a determination, greater than those of now.
In what areas does this drought worry you the most?
She worries me in all areas. You have villages in which there is no more drinking water and where water has to be brought. You have animals in some pastures that don’t have drinking water, so you’ll have to go lower. You have certain dams that no longer have enough water to run, whereas it is a source of energy on which we can rely. You obviously have agricultural difficulties and behind it is the question of food which arises quite quickly.
“We need to become more aware of the preservation of water resources and not just in summer.”
Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transitionat franceinfo
What levers should be activated urgently?
Last Friday I signed a decree which will allow during periods of high water, not only in summer, to look at where we are in the stocks and to potentially be able to take measures. We must not wait for the first effects of the shortage. We have to get used to fighting against this waste and saving the resource, including winter and autumn. In recent years we have been able to reduce our waste and water consumption by almost 400 million cubic meters.
The government wants to revive nuclear power plants. Is it really a solution for the future under these conditions?
Drought is intensifying due to global warming. Nuclear energy is the energy that emits the least greenhouse gases and therefore the one that limits global warming the most. So we need to keep the capacity to fight against global warming, but part of it threatens our production balances and it’s this whole complex chain that we have to work on. From the start of the school year, there will be a bill to look at how we are increasing our renewable energy production capacities. At the same time, we must rely on carbon-free nuclear energy which will enable us to meet our objectives in the fight against global warming.