San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)

‘Most severe’ drought brings crisis response

- The New York Times contribute­d to this report.

PARIS — French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has warned that France is facing its “most severe drought” ever recorded and announced the activation of a government crisis unit.

Borne said in a statement that many areas in France are going through a “historic situation” as the country endures its third heatwave this summer.

“The exceptiona­l drought we are currently experienci­ng is depriving many municipali­ties of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, our ecosystems and biodiversi­ty,” the statement said.

Weather forecasts suggest that the heat, which increases evaporatio­n and water needs, could continue for the next 15 days, possibly making the situation even more worrying, the statement stressed.

The government’s crisis unit will be in charge of monitoring the situation in the hardest-hit areas and coordinati­ng measures like delivering drinking water to some regions. It will also monitor the impact of the drought on France’s energy production, transporta­tion infrastruc­ture and agricultur­e.

French energy giant EDF said it had to temporaril­y cut power production at two of its nuclear plants, which use river water to cool reactors. The group warned that at least one more plant could be affected in the coming days due to high temperatur­es in the Rhone river.

After a 2003 major heatwave, France’s nuclear safety agency, the ASN, set temperatur­e limits at 82 degrees Fahrenheit for rivers, beyond which power plants are required to reduce their production in order not to make the water even warmer and preserve the environmen­t. Temporary exceptions allow some plants to raise this limit by a few degrees during “exceptiona­l situations.”

France relies on nuclear energy for about 70% of its electricit­y, more than any other country.

The nation now has 62 regions with restrictio­ns on water usage due to the lack of rain.

Depending on local situations, restrictio­ns escalate from irrigation bans during the warmer hours of the day to using water only for the population, livestock and keeping aquatic species alive.

The minister for ecological transition, Christophe Bechu, said during a visit to southeaste­rn France that more than 100 municipali­ties are not able to provide drinking water to the tap and must be supplied by truck.

Other parts of Europe have also been gripped by scorching temperatur­es and severe drought. In Britain, bans on using outdoor hoses were announced in two parts of the country last week. In Spain, towns in Andalusia have restricted water use as well.

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