France, March 9 -- European countries historically rich in water are hastily rolling out emergency measures to cope with a cumulative drought that has sapped waterways, threatened food security and strained energy production - with little end in sight.

Swathes of the continent have been hit - from Ireland to Turkey - with satellite data showing particularly dramatic images in western Europe, where governments have swung into action to mitigate water shortages ahead of the summer.

Instructing regional authorities to implement urgent water restrictions, French President Emmanuel Macron last week warned of "the end of water abundance", while Italy took the unprecedented step of appointing a commissioner with executive powers to carry out a...