97% of rain water goes to waste

FRANCE should stock more rainwater instead of bringing in ever tougher water use regulations, farmers say.

According to Irrigants de France, representing farmers who irrigate, only some 3% of rainwater is recovered in France.

The country has relatively high rainfall in winter, but does little to store it compared to measures in some other countries, such as Spain, said a spokeswoman, Céline Duroc. "We must save it when there is plenty, to use it when there is a shortage."

The concerns come as about half of departments are under France’s summer water use restrictions.

A new tough law on water use is coming in next year, including tighter rules on irrigation. However it says nothing about boosting water stocks, which the irrigators say is the logical counterpart.

Farmers currently have to ask prefectures for permission to irrigate but, nationally, the total of authorisations usually exceeds the amount of water available, the government says.

Studies are being done on each river and its surrounding drainage basin, and local bodies are being set up to use them to rule on how much water farmers can use. Irrigants de France claims the figures emerging are too conservative. In some areas, farmers will be allowed only half of what they need.

Those likely to suffer include the Poitou-Charentes, Aquitaine, the Midi-Pyrénées and the south-east, said Ms Duroc. "In some territories, there is a risk agriculture will not be able to continue. We understand there will have to be stricter limits, but they must be at least phased in slowly. Farmers do not irrigate just for fun."

She said France has insufficient water collection systems like dams in mountain rivers or small local reservoir systems, retenues collinaires.