As Frank Herbert wrote in Dune, “On Arrakis, water was money.” And in the case of France, the lack of water is costing the country’s taxpayers a fortune. Many parts of the country are experiencing severe drought conditions, and over 100 municipalities are getting their water from trucks.

“There is no more water in the pipes, said France’s Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu with the characteristic bluntness the world has come to admire from people in that splendid European country. “So the municipalities are now being supplied by trucks.”

The drought has been exacerbated by a heatwave that has seen temperatures soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of the country. The heatwave has also caused wildfires, evacuations, and heat-related deaths. The lack of water has affected not only the country’s residents, but also its economy. Farmers have been hit hard by the drought, with crops withering in the fields.

Over the weekend, France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne set up an “inter-ministerial crisis unit.” I don’t know about you, but when I hear “inter-ministerial crisis unit” I don’t think “immediate action.” I think “endless meetings, PowerPoint presentations, arguments over inconsequential details, and jockeying for the prime spot in photo ops.”

I hope I’m wrong.

[via Brussels Times]

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Originally Appeared Here