The Var is dependent on agriculture and tourism, but how long can it continue to sustain its principal industries before seeking alternative sources of fresh water?

Just when did we first become aware of climate change?  When did the term “global warming” first enter into our every day vocabulary and filter down into the general consciousness?

Only a few, short years ago, we could watch Jeremy Clarkson on “Top Gear” putting the new Lamborghini through its paces on a dry track and when he told us it only did 9 miles to the gallon, we would have winced at the extravagant running costs, not the environmental implications of such a petrol-guzzling beast.  Back in those days, most of us had never even heard of a “carbon footprint”.

It’s different today and, whether or not we adhere to the theory that man’s activities on the planet  have contributed to the problem, we cannot ignore that centuries-old trees in the Var are dying and water levels in our lakes have been worryingly low.

The August storms didn’t come to the Var this year.  We were still having serious forest fires in November.  Water restrictions were prolonged throughout the département, with some areas in the North Var receiving just 14mm of rain, in place of the 50 to 100mm which were expected.  Some environmentalists estimate the Var is a whole year behind in its annual rainfall and with increasing numbers of people sinking wells on their land, water table levels are falling.

We are urged to minimise our private water consumption, but just how tenable is the situation in the long term when the Var’s two principal industries - tourism and agriculture - are, themselves, so heavily water-dependent?

The huge influx of summer residents and tourists, the new developments, the water adventure parks, golf courses and other tourist attractions all generate revenue, but how long can the Var continue to satisfy such a high demand for water before it has to start looking for alternative sources?

Then we have the swimming pool situation.  In some Var communes the statistics average out to one swimming pool for every two residents.  This might seem excessive in a département where water - or rather the lack of it - is such a pressing concern but, with our forests and vegetation turning into tinder boxes every Summer, swimming pools are an invaluable aid to fire-fighting.  In fact, in some areas of the Var, having a pool or substantial reservoir of water on your land is  prerequisite if you want to get yourself out of the “red zone”. 

How about the golf courses, then?  We’re quick enough to point the finger of accusation at them for the amount of water they use.  Even the Préfet du Var raised the issue of golf courses in the recent Assemblée Générale of Maires in the Var.

But golf courses do have their redeeming qualities: they have proved their worth as invaluable fire breaks and they do attract wealthy visitors into the département.  Plus, in all fairness, golf course management are not blind to the situation and recent years have seen many of them developing environmental consciences as they actively start seeking ways to make their greens environmentally “greener”.  For example, "Dolce Fregate Resort" in Saint Cyr Sur Mer has entered into a convention with the French Ministry for the Environment in a bid to reduce its water consumption and minimise any possible negative impact the golf course might have on the environment. 

Meanwhile, how is the water shortage affecting the Var’s other principal industry: agriculture?  We know the olives have suffered this year, with production down between 30 and 50%, depending on which source you refer to.  Apparently, the quality is good, but the size of the fruit is smaller than usual and the overall quantity is down.  The same goes for the fruit of the vines. Those are the two locally-produced agricultural products which tend to spring most readily to mind (probably because we are among their most avid consumers). 

But what about the cut flower industry? The Var produces 40% of France’s cut flowers, making it the national leader.  The industry covers some 900 hectares of the Var’s agricultural land, and generates a staggering revenue of around 270 million Euros.  Imagine how much H²O is necessary for production on that kind of scale.  Surely, the amount of water saved by placing restrictions on private home-owners, is the proverbial drop in the ocean compared to the amount of water consumed by the Var’s industries?

I don’t want to sound alarmist but, if annual rainfall continues to decrease in the Var, what will the future hold?  Will we see desalination plants going up along the coastline?  Or large-scale recuperation and re-cyling schemes?  Surely, something’s got to give or else the Var may find itself forced into having to rethink its principal industries.  That’s if it’s going to continue to live up to its reputation of “le jardin” of France, of course.   

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