Dylan Bettencourt
Climate change activists were outraged when golf courses were exempted from the water ban in France despite a severe drought.
They expressed their anger by filling the holes on golf courses with cement.
Several areas in France have had to manage their water intakes as drought continues to ravage Europe. However golf courses were handed an exemption from the restrictions.
A climate change activist group targeted courses in the city of Toulouse, labelling the sport as the “leisure industry of the most privileged”.
The government has allowed water flow to continue at golf courses despite over 100 villages running short on drinking water. Residents are prohibited from watering their gardens or even washing their cars in some areas.
Golf officials have however claimed the greens would die in three days if they were not watered.
“A golf course without a green is like an ice-rink without ice,” Gérard Rougier of the French Golf Federation told France Info.
The water restrictions apply nationwide but enforcement can be changed depending on local municipalities.
Only one area in France, Ille-et-Vilaine in western France, has barred water usage at golf courses.
Eric Piolle, the Green mayor of Grenoble, said the exemption is another example of protecting the rich. “We continue to protect the rich and powerful,” he said.
There are some constraints when it comes to watering golf courses. They must be watered overnight with no more than 30% of the usual amount of water.
There are some rivers in France that have all but dried up, with a state crisis being declared in two-thirds of the country.
The drought is severe; in recent months, rainfall has decreased by 85%. Image source: @
