Source: Euronews https://www.euronews.com/2023/06/15/french-region-on-the-brink-of-desertification-says-hydrobiologist
A heated dispute over water is rippling through Auvergne, central France. While communities are facing water use restrictions, fingers point at multinational group Danone, accused of drying up water tables with far-reaching implications for the region’s ecosystem.
Edouard de Féligonde used to take pride in owning the Saint-Genest l’Enfant fish farm, built by his ancestors in the 17th century in the heart of the Auvergne region in central France.
But this pride has turned sour.
“The Saint-Genest l’Enfant fish farm is the oldest one in Europe, and the only one to be classified as a historic monument. And this fish farm is now completely dried up,” sighs Edouard de Féligonde, as he takes us on a tour of the property.
The farm’s streams, once flowing and fruitful, have nearly run dry, and the fish ponds are empty, save for the few where stagnant water is artificially kept to prevent erosion of the basins.
Accusations Against Danone
The fish farm owner accuses Danone and its subsidiary, the bottled water firm Société des Eaux de Volvic, whose boreholes are close to his property, of drying up water tables.
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“Since the Danone group took control of the Société des Eaux de Volvic in 1993, withdrawals have quadrupled,” says de Féligonde. “And that’s how we have, not a drought as many would like us to believe, but a drying up of the sources of the property.”
Edouard de Féligonde launched a legal fight against both the Danone Group and the public authorities issuing pumping permits.
Volvic’s Defense and Community Repercussions
Despite the criticism, the Société des Eaux de Volvic say their operations have no impact on the availability of drinking water. In 2020, they extracted 2.3 billion litres of water, below the 2.8 billion litres per year authorised by the state.
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