Drought forces water restrictions across nearly 70% of France

Nearly 70 per cent of France is subject to water-use restrictions as drought conditions worsen amid successive heatwaves, the government said Monday



A series of heatwaves over the past three months, compounded by drought, have broken temperature records, caused thousands of excess deaths, and fuelled massive wildfires.



"As France is experiencing a particularly severe drought, the effects of climate change continue to increase pressure on water resources," the ministry for ecological transition said, adding that "nearly 70 percent of French territory is subject to restrictions on water use".



As of Aug 9, the vast majority of mainland France, including Paris, was under at least the first water warning level, with 67 of the country's 101 departments under the highest crisis alert.



In areas subject to the highest alert, water is reserved for priority uses such as healthcare, civil protection, drinking water and sanitation.