France And Spain Facing Continued Drought As Rainfall Totals Slide

PARIS - Scarce rains are stirring fears of a repeat of 2005's severe drought in France and Spain this year, with water reserves already low and falling, officials said on Thursday. "The situation is...extremely worrying," French Environment Minister Nelly Olin said after a meeting of the national drought committee.

The water deficit in much of the country was more than 70 percent at the end of January, she added, up from 50 percent at the start of the month. After a heatwave in 2003 that killed thousands of people and a dry 2004/2005 winter, France was forced to impose water rationing across the country last year, slapping irrigation curbs on farmers and hosepipe bans on the public.

Olin said even harsher curbs would be enforced this year if water levels remained unchanged by the end of May. One department (Deux-Sevres) has already imposed maximum water restrictions. French Farm Minister Dominique Bussereau, who co-hosted the drought committee meeting, said damage to the 2006 grain harvest might exceed last year's losses.

EDIT

In Spain, which last year faced an even more severe drought than France, farmers were also likely to plant less maize this year and the crop might fall 20-30 percent from last year's reduced levels, farmers said. Spain has had rain in January and February, but not enough to raise water levels significantly.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/35165/story.htm

It's extended crop failure that's most likely to force enormous die-offs.