Mehdi Guelmamen appears on France Culture to discuss the challenges of drinking water supply

Monday 12 October 2026, Mehdi Guelmamen, a PhD in Economics at the University of Lorraine, appeared once again on the programme Entendez-vous l’éco ? on France Culture to discuss the growing tensions surrounding the drinking water supply in France.

By the end of September 2026, 94,000 people were without drinking water – 30,000 more than at the start of the month. This is an unprecedented situation today, but one that is likely to become increasingly common in the years to come. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of forward planning in public policy and significant inequalities between local authorities, which are responsible for managing drinking water.

During his appearance, Mehdi Guelmamen also highlighted the scale of investment required to modernise infrastructure, which is often ageing and inadequately maintained. Faced with local authorities with limited financial resources, particularly in rural areas, he called for a more carefully planned public policy at national level with a more comprehensive vision of water resource management, in order to anticipate the effects of climate change and secure access to drinking water in the long term.