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Transcript/Script France Winter Drought (TV)
HEADLINE: Existential Crisis in Drought-Stricken Southern France
TEASER: Turmoil over pension reforms in the capital while another crisis looms in south
PUBLISHED AT: 3/19/23
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: REUTERS/AP
SCRIPT EDITORS: Page sv
VIDEO SOURCE (S): REUTERS/AP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:09
NOTE:
VID APPROVED BY: SV
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO))
[[ Parisians have been clashing with police over the past week following French President Emmanuel Macron’s push to raise the pension age for workers. Macron now faces an angry public. And his rammed-through policy may leave permanent political scars. But south of Paris, another crisis looms for workers as a winter drought dries-up their prospects for work. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((VAR, WATER CANNONS/PROTEST, PARIS, AP, 03/18))
((NARRATOR))
Another night of protests in Paris after French President Emmanuel Macron forced a pension reform bill through without a vote by the National Assembly —to raise the retirement age. Wildly unpopular, the policy now pits Parisians against water-cannon-wielding police.
((VAR, LAKE MONTBEL, LERAN, FRANCE, REUTERS, 03/15))
((NARRATOR))
But nearly 800 kilometers (493 miles) south of the capital looms a different and existential threat to French workers near the Lake Montbel dam.
[RADIO TRACK: Lake Dam Technical Manager for the SMDEA water agency, Xavier Rouja, speaking with Reuters.]
((REUTERS))
((Xavier Rouja, SMDEA Manager)) ((MAN 1, FRENCH))
“We are currently at 15-million cubic meters of water in the lake, which represents about 25-percent of the max… At this time of year, we are usually closer to 60-percent.”
((VAR, LAKE/FARMER, REUTERS))
((NARRATOR))
The dam’s manager added that there’s a need for special water management in the summer to balance resources following France’s driest winter in 64 years.
Created in 1985, Lake Montbel is an artificial lake primarily designed to irrigate crops. It’s since become a hiking and camping destination, as well. But in February alone, the region had a rainfall shortage of 80 percent.
[RADIO TRACK: Regional Farmers’ Irrigation Association President, Christophe Mascarenc, speaking with Reuters.]
((REUTERS))
((Christophe Mascarenc, Regional Farmers’ Irrigation Association President)) ((MAN 2, FRENCH))
“Lake Montbel is the guarantee of income… Without water in our region, our farms are not viable. If tomorrow we have to do without water… many of our farms would collapse and disappear.”
((FARM, REUTERS))
((NARRATOR))
Farmers say they’ve already had to switch to more winter-friendly crops that don’t rely on irrigation but say that makes their bottom lines evaporate. Experts say: get used to it.
[RADIO TRACK: Upstream Garonne River Interdepartmental Delegation chief, Franck Solacroup, speaking with Reuters.]
((REUTERS))
((Franck Solacroup, Upstream Garonne River Interdepartmental Delegation)) ((MAN 3, FRENCH))
“In 2022 we had weather conditions that will be average in 2050 due to climate change… In any case, this is something we will have to get used to and therefore adapt to. The Montbel dam is representative of this water deficit… and with the low water level, which is about to come.”
((VAR, DAM, REUTERS))
((NARRATOR))
According to media reports, French authorities are working on a plan to divert a nearby river to refill the lake but have so-far faced pushback from environmental groups. So, for now, the local farming and tourism industries are stuck in the mud.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Washington D.C.
Embargo DateMarch 19, 2023 12:15 EDT
Byline((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
