French environment minister urges quick restrictions to avoid water crisis

"We are pinning real hopes on the coming days, when rain is forecast over most of France, but not everywhere, and we have serious concerns for the Mediterranean basin and the Rhone corridor," Bechu said. A national water resource management plan, initially expected in January, is now slated to be published before the end of March, the ministry said.

France's 100 departmental prefects should not hesitate to enact quick decrees restricting local water use given alarmingly low groundwater levels, French Environment Minister Christophe Béchu said Monday.

"We are sounding the alarm given the situation we now find ourselves in, as we near the end of what is usually the recharge period for (underground) water tables," Bechu said. The announcement came after Béchu met virtually with prefects to get a view of the country's overall water situation as the country experiences its driest winter since 1959.

As rain is expected to fall between now and March 15, the ministry will check in with prefects after that date to see how the situation develops. "We are pinning real hopes on the coming days, when rain is forecast over most of France, but not everywhere, and we have serious concerns for the Mediterranean basin and the Rhone corridor," Bechu said.

A national water resource management plan, initially expected in January, is now slated to be published before the end of March, the ministry said.

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