In the midst of a heatwave and what is being described as the country’s worst drought on record, France is running out of drinking water.
To lessen the strain on more than 100 towns without access to safe drinking water, authorities are reportedly trucking in water.
Minister for Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu reportedly said, “There is nothing left in the pipes,” as reported by Sputnik International.
The month of July was the driest on record since March 1961 with only 0.38 inches of rain falling there; the majority of continental France is currently facing a drought.
Because the river water in the area is too warm to adequately cool the reactors, some nuclear power stations have had to restrict their production.
Additionally, early leaf-shedding from trees and shrubs gives the area an autumnal appearance rather than a summery one. A lot of the country has also outlawed irrigation.
The consequences are anticipated to worsen Europe’s already precarious food situation. Many people worry that the drought will affect crop yields this year, and since imports from Russia and Ukraine are already much below average, prices, which are already high, are anticipated to increase considerably further.
Additionally, because they must travel down the valley every day to get water for their animals, livestock farmers in the Alps have had to drastically raise their costs, which could result in higher prices for meat, grains, and vegetables.
The expectation of decreased crop yields this year is not unique to France. Due to the heatwave, yields are also anticipated to be lower than predicted in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
