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Govt touts drought action plan

President Emmanuel Macron announced new water-saving measures for France on Thursday as he sought to brush aside weeks of political turmoil over a deeply unpopular pensions reform.

Dozens of protesters calling for him to resign gathered in the Alpine village of Savines-le-Lac ahead of his announcement, as he faces the biggest challenge of his second term in office. Two people were arrested before he even arrived on the shores of western Europe’s largest fresh-water reservoir.

“There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn’t mean everything else should grind to a halt... We need to continue working,” Mr Macron told reporters against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

After a devastating heatwave last summer and record low rainfall this winter, Mr Macron said he wanted to reuse 10% of all water in France by 2030.

“We have decided to launch 1,000 projects in five years to recycle and reuse water,” he said.

“We want to reuse 300 million cubic metres, or... 3,500 bottles of water per French person per year,” he said.

France currently reuses less than 1% of its water.

Mr Macron said all parts of the economy would be asked to decrease their water consumption by summer — not just the water-guzzling agricultural sector, but also energy, industry, tourism and leisure.

Last summer was Europe’s hottest on record. Winter has also been particularly dry in France, with a record spell of 32 days without significant rainfall earlier this year. The country’s groundwater levels were 80% lower than average on March 1.

Mr Macron’s water plan was overshadowed by ongoing anger over his pensions plan, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

“Manu, we have a lot to worry about if you’re going to manage water like you did pensions,” read one protester’s poster in Savines-le-Lac on Thursday, addressing the president by his nickname.

Helen, a retired nurse, was among the protesters trying to shout down Mr Macron during his speech.

“He says he’s here to speak about water, to calm us down, but we don’t want to be calmed down,” said the 68-year-old, who refused to give her surname.

Protesters also gathered in Paris and other French cities on Thursday night, for mainly peaceful demonstrations. Seven people were arrested in Paris, after small groups of protesters turned violent, a police source said.

Mr Macron’s government on March 16 triggered widespread anger when it invoked a controversial executive power to ram through the bill.

WORLD

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2023-04-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-04-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://bangkokpost.pressreader.com/article/281663964271927

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