France bans garden swimming pool sales in drought-hit region

France bans garden swimming pool sales in drought-hit region

France's Pyrénées-Orientales district has banned the sale of garden pools due to worsening water shortages. The area will be officially declared at drought "crisis" level from May 10, and bans on car-washing, garden-watering, and pool-filling will kick in from the same date.

Other districts, accounting for almost half of the country, are at "alert" or "vigilance" levels, predicting even worse shortages than last year. President Emmanuel Macron has recently announced a nationwide water program to increase recycling, curb leaks, and introduce a "progressive water tariff."

What measures can individuals and governments take to address worsening water shortages due to climate change?