The effects of drought on biodiversity

In a national context marked by a drastic decrease in rainfall, biodiversity in France is facing increasingly worrying repercussions, which are important to highlight in the run-up to World Drought and Desertification Day on 17 June. According to data from the Observatoire de l'Environnement (EDO), the figures are alarming: in 1980, France recorded 1,010 mm of precipitation, a figure that fell to 1,037 mm in 2000, then dropped to 860 mm in 2010, and finally to just 680 mm in 2022. This significant drop in rainfall is jeopardising the health of ecosystems and the survival of the species that depend on them. Last August in particular, the situation was particularly serious in terms of drought, with 21% of European territory in a state of alert. France was the worst affected country, with the highest number of areas in a state of alert. (Source: EDO).

The situation is also worrying, according to the latest data from the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM). In March and April 2023, despite excess rainfall over much of the country, groundwater levels remain a cause for concern. According to BRGM, the rainfall led to episodes of groundwater recharge, but trends remain uneven: 37% of observation points are up, 25% are stable, but 38% remain down in April.

During periods of drought, the effects on biodiversity are multiple and worrying. Drought affects biodiversity by altering flowers, which has a direct impact on pollinators and leads to declining populations, reduced plant reproduction and a threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. A scientific study reveals that drought leads to a diminution in floral resources available to pollinators, with fewer flowers containing nectar. These cascading effects underline the importance of taking measures to preserve biodiversity in the face of climate change and drought.

As part of this, the climate-tech 3Bee company is promoting the creation of the first ecological corridor, made possible by private individuals and companies, visible from space: Biodiversity Oases. This involves the creation of urban and agroforestry biodiversity habitats that include refuges for pollinators and native flora. Places certified and controlled by the tech company's in-house technology whose impact is constantly measurable and backed by major research partners supporting the regeneration programme. The Biodiversity Oases also incorporate the planting and growth of specific flora, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing some of the atmospheric CO2 thanks to nectar-producing trees and promoting soil regeneration.

In the run-up to World Drought and Desertification Day on 17 June, we need to take urgent action to preserve our environment and the balance between communities and nature. 3Bee's Biodiversity Oases, while not being able to intervene at the source of the drought problem, represent a concrete and innovative solution for limiting the effects of this phenomenon by reconstituting ecosystems for the survival of pollinating insects in a very short space of time and with a high degree of scalability. "Ecosystem resilience is the real innovation. We need to take concrete steps to regenerate the ecosystems we have destroyed. By combining 3Bee's technology with the involvement of the largest community of growers for biodiversity, we are going to create the largest ecological corridor in France," says Niccolò Calandri, CEO of 3Bee.