Overview

• The Haut-Commissariat’s June report finds that without policy changes, 88% of metropolitan France will experience moderate to severe summer water stress by 2050.
• Implementing radical water-sobriety measures would lower that figure to 64% but leave most regions vulnerable to shortages.
• Under current trends, nearly 90% of France’s watersheds are projected to suffer hydrological degradation between 2020 and 2050, with radical reforms halving the impact.
• Authorities warn that restrictions on water use for agriculture, industry and households will likely be necessary if long-term practices remain unchanged.
• The south-west and south-east regions face the strongest tensions due to high irrigation demands, underscoring regional disparities in water stress.