France: Drought causes crop losses and dries up waterways in France.

SHOTLIST: TARN, FRANCE (AUG. 6, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF DRIED SUNFLOWERS AND MAIZETARN, FRANCE — AUG. 6, 2026: Prolonged dry conditions and severe heat are devastating agricultural crops in southern France and driving a record deterioration of small waterways across the country, environmental authorities and local media reported. In the Tarn department and the broader Occitanie region, farmers are suffering sharp declines in maize and sunflower yields as intense heatwaves—with temperatures climbing as high as 40.6 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit)—wither fields and fuel wildfires. France is also experiencing an unprecedented deterioration of its small waterways, with 43% recording disrupted flows or drying up amid a historic drought, according to data released by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB). The situation has surpassed the severe drought of 2022, with 112 more waterways reporting disrupted flows or drying up. Overall conditions are “more than twice as degraded” as they were at the same timeframe in 2025, according to the agency. The water shortage is affecting agriculture, industry, fishing, energy production and drinking-water supplies, while repeated low-water conditions threaten aquatic species and may allow more resistant invasive species to replace native wildlife.