Even France's Water Supply Pipes Dry Up... Lakes and Seawater Also Mobilized
UK Government Advises Citizens "Do Not Wash Hair Daily"
Drought Causes Olive Crop Failure... Olive Oil Prices May Rise Following Sunflower Oil Increase
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Various parts of Europe that suffered from the heatwave are now groaning under drought conditions caused by its aftermath.
According to BFM broadcast on the 5th (local time), even the water supply pipelines in France have reached a state of depletion. As a result, some villages have resorted to transporting water by truck or using lake and seawater.
In G?rardmer in the east, water is being drawn from a lake crowded with holiday tourists to fill the pipelines. On the western island of Groix, a desalination machine has been installed to make seawater potable.
On the same day, Christophe B?chu, France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, referred to the severely drought-affected southern region of Loulou as "a situation none of us have ever experienced before." The French government regards this drought as an unprecedentedly serious situation.
Moreover, out of 101 departments, 93 have been designated as areas where water usage restrictions can be imposed. In particular, in the southern Var department, each person is limited to a maximum of 150 to 200 liters of water per day. Violations incur a fine of 2 million won.
Experts attribute the drought in France to accumulated heat from three heatwaves experienced since June.
Amid the ongoing heatwave, the weather in the UK recorded 38 degrees Celsius. Photo by EPA, Yonhap News
In the UK, facing the worst drought crisis ever, government appeals for 'water conservation' continue. There was even a recommendation to "refrain from washing hair daily" to reduce water usage.
Additionally, according to foreign media such as The Guardian on the 26th, the UK government is currently considering officially declaring a drought. If declared, restrictions such as limiting irrigation of fields or banning the use of outdoor tap water lakes could be forcibly implemented depending on the region.
With dry weather persisting for several months, the UK’s rainfall in July was only about 20% of the average. In some areas, it was as low as 4% of the average, making this the driest first half of the year in 46 years since the severe drought of 1976.
Liz Bentley, president of the Royal Meteorological Society, told the BBC that dry weather may continue for several more weeks, emphasizing, "River, stream, and reservoir levels are extremely low, so this is a very serious situation that requires action."
Due to drought-induced poor olive harvests, olive oil production has been disrupted. Photo by Pixabay
The drought caused by the heatwave has also led to poor crop yields. According to Bloomberg on the 2nd, olive crops in Spain and Italy, which suffered severe heatwave damage, have failed, raising concerns about price increases.
Spain’s olive oil production accounts for about half of the total production. In June, the benchmark price for Spanish olive oil rose 8.3% compared to the same period last year. The olive crop failure adds to the global food price pressures following the disruption of sunflower oil supplies due to the Ukraine war.
Furthermore, olive oil is the third most significant agricultural export product from Spain, so the olive crop failure could negatively impact the Spanish economy.
Luis Planas, Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, expressed concern, saying, "If temperatures do not stabilize or rain does not come within the next few weeks, this year’s olive harvest will be noticeably smaller than usual."
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