Europe | Not waterproof

A winter drought grips southern Europe

After Russia cut off its gas Europe’s latest shortage is of water

Empty boat on cracked mud exposed by low water levels in the Sau reservoir following a drought, in Vilanova de Sau, Spain, on Monday, April 3, 2023. Villages in Spains northeast region of Catalonia are bracing for water restrictions as supplies from a key source have reached a historic low. Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images — Image: Getty Images

Apr 13th 2023|MADRID, ROME AND VALLON-PONT-D’ARC

The small town of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc in southern France sits on the winding Ardèche river, just before it enters a deep limestone gorge. Fringed by red-tiled two-storey new-build homes, it has a gently growing population, which is boosted in the summer months by an influx of tourists and their kayaks. After yet another period of low rain, however, concern about dwindling water supplies has prompted Thierry Devimeux, the local prefect, to limit not just the use of water, but the expansion of the town altogether. It makes Vallon-Pont-d’Arc the 22nd commune in the surrounding département in which all new building has been banned.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Not waterproof ”