The Weather network* provides for a new episode scorching from the next week. This announcement is part of a context where low rainfall made it necessary for the classification of many localities red alert (crisis) drought, in 67 departments. The map of the areas affected is available on Propluvia, the government website that lists all of the orders for restriction of water taken by the prefectures.

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The red alert (the crisis) is the last of the four levels of alerts set up to fight against the drought. The first is the vigilance (gray), where individuals and professionals are invited to make water savings. Then comes the alert (yellow) reduces the permissions of the withdrawal of water to farmers for up to three days per week maximum, while the watering of green spaces, washing cars, and water activities are prohibited at certain hours.

Propluvia

If the situation deteriorates, the area concerned may be placed in the alert reinforced (orange) which involves measures that are more draconian for farmers and individuals. Industrial companies may also be subject to a progressive reduction of their activity and the recycling of some of the cleaning water.

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Finally, the crisis (red) prohibits the use of levies, non-priority, including for agriculture. Only are authorized for priority uses such as health care, civil security, supply of drinking water and the preservation of aquatic ecosystems.

A severe drought and water restrictions are not without consequences for farmers

Asked by Le Figaro , Baptiste Gatouillat, vice-president of the union of the Young Farmer, reminds us that "these measures, water restrictions are not without consequences for the farmers." In effect, "especially for the plots that require heavy irrigation, such as corn, the consequences of a prohibition of removal which very often result in a yield decline".

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so far, the trade unionist says that "the situations are very different according to the localization or the type of operation". "This is not because a department is a red alert that a farmer cannot water his cows!" In the Dordogne, where a part of the department has been placed on red alert, Chris Lacour, a farmer in la Roque Gageac, is a testament of so many of these disparities: "As regards my farm, which is at the edge of the Dordogne, there is no problem to collect the water and water the crops. On the other hand, we don't need to walk many kilometers to find, in the department of the valleys, where the situation is much more critical."

Of the known solutions but complex to implement

According to the Baptist Gatouillat, the solutions to combat these shortages, and to avoid the prohibitions of the withdrawal of water are known, but encounter many difficulties to be implemented. "Most farmers want to store water in the winter. This requires the construction of impounding reservoirs and small ponds where you could feed in case of drought in the summer. But very often we are faced with standards are very stringent, and the opposition of environmental NGOS, which subsequently, will denounce the fact that we take water in the rivers".

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after the Foundation of the water that concluded on July 2, the FNSEA had welcomed "the recognition of the strong impact of climate change on the agricultural activity requiring the possibility of storage of water", but had also stressed "the approach is too regulatory for the protection of rivers and wetlands".

*The Weather network is a company of the Figaro group.

Date Of Update: 19 July 2019, 00:00