The State will finance projects to deal with the drought in the Pyrénées-Orientales, announces Christophe Béchu

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: RAYMOND ROIG / AFP 3:39 p.m., March 21, 2024

The Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu announced Thursday in Perpignan the financing of development projects in the face of drought, including a study on the extension of an aqueduct carrying water from the Rhône to Occitanie. In recent weeks, elected officials and agricultural representatives of the Pyrénées-Orientales have insisted on the hypothesis of the extension of Via Domitia, a work aimed at securing the water supply, which stops today at Narbonne. 

“The State will get involved and participate in financing part of these projects”

"The region (Occitanie) announced the fact that it was launching study work to find out whether bringing water from the Rhône to the territory of the Pyrénées-Orientales was a good idea or a false good idea in terms of cost, amounts and consequences. The State is joining the study and will participate in its financing,” the minister declared to journalists.

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After meeting the mayors of the department, gathered in congress, he reported on "around fifty projects, which range from the question of the pipe which would bring water from the Rhône to small reservoir projects, wastewater reuse projects. He commissioned the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales to identify “six or seven projects which could be launched very, very quickly”. “In exceptional circumstances, exceptional means, the State will commit itself, participate in the financing of part of these projects,” he assured.

The minister announced that he would return during the second half of April to announce a "resilience plan" for the "only department of France not to have had real rain for two years" and draw up a timetable for the launching projects. On the subject of a real estate project including a controversial golf course in Villeneuve-de-la-Raho, near Perpignan, the minister indicated that he had met the mayor of the town, to whom he expressed his "emotion to see a project of this type (...) at a time when real water stress is present in the territory". He must receive the leaders of this project at the ministry in 15 days.