CLEAN WATER DEVELOPMENT IN FRANCE
Basic Information
· Location and Geography: Western Europe, Temperate
· Government: Presidential Constitutional Republic; President: Francois Hollande
Clean Water Statistics
· 100%, of the population, both in rural and urban settings has access to clean water[1]
· 33.1 billion cubic meters of freshwater are withdrawn annually[2]
Population
Currently, the French population is approximately 65.6 million, with an annual population growth of 0.4%.[3] However, only a little above 64 million French citizens have proper sanitation, but all sectors of the population are witnessing gradual improvements.[4]
Where does France get its Water?
The majority of France’s water supply is extracted from the ground and is made readily available to the country. Upwards of 40% of the ground water extracted is used for domestic consumption, while the second highest usage is for agriculture. In terms of sanitation, western France has a much larger share of independent sanitation systems, whereas eastern France, which has more rural communities, relies much more heavily on collective, public systems.[5] Certain villages within this poorer region continue to drink water with high microbial and nitrate levels. Those same areas also often lack proper wastewater treatment in their sewage systems.[6]
Infrastructure
France has done a very equitable job of maintaining the infrastructure within both densely and sparsely populated areas. A devotion to agricultural infrastructure in particular has allowed France to assist farmers in a competitive food market while also preventing harmful chemicals from leaking into the water supplies. Most water infrastructure has now been privatized, but the government continues to vanguard its usage.[7] In terms of transference, most pipes within France remain stable, but many are made of brittle iron and steel from 1972 that can cause leakages.[8]
Effects of Climate Change:
Climate Change refers to the changes to earth’s climate as a result of human activities, primarily in terms of the creation of greenhouse gasses that cause a rise in earth’s temperature. There are many consequences to the rising temperatures, rising sea levels and extreme weather. France’s main concern when it comes to climate change will be rising sea levels and more frequent occurrences of severe weather.
What is France doing to fulfill the right to clean water within its borders?
France continues to assure quality drinking water and improved sanitation to the entirety of its population. Given their large swaths of communal sanitation and pipe systems, the French Regional Health Agency monitor tens of thousands of communes to ensure cleanliness and quality.[9] While the water supply continues to be the best in urban areas, the French code of laws has strict measures ensuring that all citizens have a right to descent water.[10]
[1] http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.H2O.SAFE.ZS
[2] http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ER.H2O.FWTL.K3
[3] http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=FRA&series=&period=
[4] https://knoema.com/WHOWSS2014/who-unicef-water-supply-statistics-2015?location=1000290-france
[5] http://www.fp2e.org/userfiles/files/publication/etudes/Etude%20FP2E-BIPE%202012_VA.pdf
[6] http://www.ielrc.org/activities/workshop_0704/content/d0723.pdf
[7] http://www.icid.org/v_france.pdf
[8] http://www.fp2e.org/userfiles/files/publication/etudes/Etude%20FP2E-BIPE%202012_VA.pdf
[9] http://www.fp2e.org/userfiles/files/publication/etudes/Etude%20FP2E-BIPE%202012_VA.pdf
[10] http://www.ielrc.org/activities/workshop_0704/content/d0723.pdf