Drought emergency: France imposes water use limits across 70% of country
French authorities have imposed water-use restrictions across almost 70% of the country’s territory due to severe drought, Le Monde reports.
The highest crisis level has been declared in 67 departments because of water shortages, while another 21 departments remain under an elevated alert level.
Water use is permitted only for healthcare, civil safety, drinking water supply, and essential sanitation. Under the elevated alert, restrictions apply to garden and landscape irrigation, filling swimming pools, washing cars, and watering agricultural crops.
On July 27, Minister of Ecological Transition Monique Barbier reported difficulties with drinking water outages have already affected more than 30,000 people in 80 communes, forcing authorities to deliver drinking water by tanker trucks or bottled supplies.
Earlier, it was reported that extreme heat and drought had disrupted shipping on Germany’s Rhine river.