Europe 1 with AFP 16:51 p.m., April 13, 2023

The Bureau of Geological and Mining Research announced Thursday forecasts of summer drought. As periods of rain become scarcer, groundwater will certainly be dry throughout the summer, except perhaps those of Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which have experienced "consequent episodes of recharging".

The rains in March were not enough to recharge groundwater in France, 75% of which remain at moderately low or very low levels, making "proven" the risk of summer drought for some regions, announced Thursday the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM). The rainfall between March 1 and 31 "was not sufficient to cause a sufficient improvement" in the state of the aquifers, 80% of which were degraded a month ago, says the public body.

At the end of winter, when the aquifers are supposed to recharge before the vegetation resumes its growth in spring, "all the aquifers show levels below normal and 75% show low to very low levels", continues the BRGM, before adding that "many sectors present a proven risk of drought during the summer period". Last year, as of April 1, 58% of levels were below normal. The summer of 2022, however, suffered a historic drought.

A spring and summer "probably tense"

However, the BRGM qualifies somewhat by adding that "uncertainty remains high on some aquifers, abundant rains during the spring could help sustain levels or even return to satisfactory levels". According to the BRGM, a good fifty metropolitan departments, particularly in the north, center and south-east of the country present a "very strong" risk of drought "presaging a spring and summer probably tense" and which in the absence of rains "very surplus" in the coming weeks should result in water restriction orders.

In March, where according to Meteo-France the France experienced a 40% excess of precipitation at the national level compared to normal, but with very heterogeneous situations depending on the region; only the aquifers from Brittany to Nouvelle-Aquitaine benefited from "consequent episodes of recharging". Several others, in Champagne, in the Rhône-Saône corridor, Roussillon or Provence/Côte d'Azur, still display "unfavorable situations" with levels that remain very low.

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Insufficient rainfall

Overall, "the rains infiltrated deep during the month of March were not enough to generate a clear improvement," notes the BRGM. A situation all the more worrying that the recharge carried out this autumn and winter, both particularly dry, remains "very insufficient to compensate for the accumulated deficits" for more than a year and that "from April, the recharge episodes should remain punctual and not very intense except exceptional rainfall events".