Everyone refuses at this stage to talk about disaster.
But all the signs of a record drought are there.
The FNSEA, the majority agricultural union, drew up an alarmist report on Tuesday, May 10: "No region is spared. With each passing day, we see soils cracking. Yesterday, I was with a farmer in Puy-de -Dôme, he is watering his wheat. If it continues like this, those who have the possibility of irrigating will get by, the others will have dramatic drops in yield, "warned Christiane Lambert, its president to AFP.
“Since October-November, there have been huge droughts in Portugal and Spain, which have been going up in Occitania and Provence and along the Rhone Valley. What is unusual in this season is that the drought is affecting regions north of the Loire",
>> Climate: a worrying drought in Spain and Portugal, in the middle of winter
Many sectors affected
Same statement of urgency at the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Winter crops, such as wheat or barley, which are now in the development phase, are beginning to experience situations that will affect yields", says one rue de Varenne.
The dry and hot weather at the end of April and this beginning of May could also, if it persists, affect spring crops, such as sunflowers, beets and corn, as well as the fodder essential for feeding animals.
11:54
Earth element.
© France 24
The risks involved go beyond agricultural losses.
"In addition to agriculture, drought has a considerable impact on many other sectors such as buildings, explains Emma Haziza, hydrologist. We see more and more houses collapsing. This is a new phenomenon in France. These damages are much more expensive than floods and will have major long-term economic consequences.In addition, drought also has repercussions on energy production, as nuclear power plants need large quantities of water to cool reactors."
Drought, the first visible consequence of climate change
In question, the rise in temperatures recorded in the spring and a month of April “with a deficit of 25% of rainfall”.
For Météo-France, this "heat episode" is "remarkable for its precocity, its durability and its geographical extent".
But the drought is mainly due to the very low rainfall this winter.
In itself, "this new episode of drought is exceptional but not unprecedented, says Emma Haziza. On the other hand, what is new is this lack of rain observed during the four winter months. Added to high temperatures for the season, the water tables could not fill up. We then very quickly end up in a critical phase knowing that we have not even started summer yet."
#Drought |
⭕ 15 departments have already put in place water restriction measures.
Find out how to act on your scale ⤵️https://t.co/VwEimLQJv3
— Government (@gouvernementFR) May 10, 2022
The hydrologist is formal: “The lack of rain is directly linked to climate change, there is no longer any doubt to be had. Drought is one of the first visible consequences. happens faster and faster and gets bigger each year. It is in particular the first year that France has faced a flash drought", a phenomenon hitherto observed in hot countries, which dries out the soil and harvest in just five days.
Not all regions are equal when it comes to this phenomenon.
"We see that the water tables of certain territories are very reactive and easily manage to fill up when others do not fill up".
Thus, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions, the Mediterranean rim, the Grand-Est as well as the entire Poitou-Charentes region are particularly affected by the lack of water.
"But we can clearly see that today, even the regions which thought they were spared by the drought, such as the North of France, or Belgium or even the North of Europe, are also beginning to suffer the effects", continues the scientist.
Emergency measures, but above all the need to adapt
To deal with the emergency, fifteen departments have already been subject to restrictions.
They range from encouraging water savings (vigilance stage) to prohibiting the watering of gardens or fields at certain times (alert), which can go as far as a 50% reduction in water withdrawals. water for agricultural purposes or a total ban on water withdrawals for washing cars or watering green spaces (reinforced alert).
Following meetings with water agencies and agricultural professionals, the ministries also announced that the "Third Agricultural Revolution" window, opened in April to help farmers cope with climate change and initially of 20 million euros, was to be topped up with "an additional 20 million".
🌡 Since March, several departments are already experiencing drought: with the rise in temperatures over the next few days, this phenomenon and its consequences are likely to worsen.
↪ Let's have the right reflexes to save water: https://t.co/BabqY7Cxbe@b_abba @J_Denormandie pic.twitter.com/nCbi0CHqxi
— Ministry of Ecology 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@Ecologie_Gouv) May 10, 2022
At the end of April, the government also announced that water agencies could spend an additional 100 million euros to help agricultural sectors adapt to climate change or create water reservoirs.
Not sure that these measures are enough to stem the phenomenon.
“Today, the whole system is racing, we have fully entered into climate change, believes Emma Haziza. We must rethink our long-term model, rethink our territory and get out of the productivist model which has notably led deforestation".
The summary of the
France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 app
google-play-badge_EN