This is the first time in its history. Martinique has been placed in a “drought crisis”. The lack of water would be close to the record of 1973, the reference year in terms of drought on this French island in the Antilles.
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It just didn’t rain enough in Martinique. In April, precipitation was 70% less than the average of the last thirty years. And the prefecture does not expect significant rains before the end of May-beginning of June. Not enough to make the rivers swell immediately, therefore. However, it is essentially they who supply fresh water to the local authority.
Result: three quarters of the catchment points are experiencing a serious deficit, to the point that in certain places, residents have been faced with rotating water cuts since the beginning of April. Around twenty schools had to keep their doors closed because they were unable to ensure the sanitary conditions for welcoming students.
The drought that hits the #Martinique with full force continues to disrupt daily life. Schools are still closed this Thursday in Diamant and Saint-Joseph. At Le François, the town hall distributes drinking water to the population.https://t.co/7UaTcVJpdl
— RCI Martinique (@RCI_MQ) May 16, 2024
Lack of rain and extreme heat
To optimize the distribution of drinking water, a prefectural decree prohibits the washing of cars and boats, including by professionals and ” imposes a 25% reduction in water consumption » to companies consuming more than 1,000 m³ per year.
The order also deletes “ flows reserved for natural environments », this is what normally allows enough water to be left for aquatic species, for example. The prefecture’s decision will allow drinking water distribution services to take more from rivers.
Added to the lack of rain are heat records: temperatures are currently 2°C higher than average.
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