Adour-Garonne BasinAdour-Garonne Basin

Management plan and programManagement plan and programof measures for 2010-2015of measures for 2010-2015

A public debateA public debate

François SIMONET François SIMONET Budapest, 15th October 2008Budapest, 15th October 2008

The Adour-Garonne Basin

• 6 Regions6 Regions• 25 Departments25 Departments• 6,900 Communes6,900 Communes• 7 million inhabitants7 million inhabitants• 7 sub-basins (120,000 km of rivers)7 sub-basins (120,000 km of rivers)• Very large underground water ressourcesVery large underground water ressources• Total area of 118,000 sq. kmTotal area of 118,000 sq. km - - one-fifth of Franceone-fifth of France

Administrative make-upof the area

Objectives of theObjectives of the consultationconsultation– Water Framework DirectiveWater Framework Directive

– Draft of the management planDraft of the management plan

2010 - 2015 (SDAGE)2010 - 2015 (SDAGE)

– Outline of the program of Outline of the program of

measuresmeasures

for 2010-2015for 2010-2015

– A project requiring the involvementA project requiring the involvement

of one and allof one and all

Public7,000,000

Local Committees

500

Committeefor the Basin :

Water parliament200

WaterForum2,000

In concert :In concert : co constructionco construction

Consultation :Consultation :opinionsopinions

All are involvedAll are involved

Consult the publicConsult the public

Water is life.Water is life.Let’s know your views!Let’s know your views!

Become a WATER-CITIZEN Become a WATER-CITIZEN

The contextThe context……

– 1414thth article of the Water Framwork article of the Water Framwork Directive (23/10/2000)Directive (23/10/2000)

– Aarhus convention (25/06/1998)Aarhus convention (25/06/1998) (in application of 10(in application of 10thth article of the Rio convention in 1992) article of the Rio convention in 1992)

– National Committee for the public National Committee for the public debate in France (02/02/1995)debate in France (02/02/1995)

– A national framework, a local A national framework, a local networknetwork

The challengesThe challenges......

– To inform the public about water To inform the public about water

management and make them more management and make them more

aware of itaware of it

– To encourage and help them to give To encourage and help them to give

their opinionstheir opinions

– To provide them with a synthesis of To provide them with a synthesis of

the views and proposals put forwardthe views and proposals put forward

– To take into account the proposals To take into account the proposals

in developing the projectsin developing the projects

Awareness, information, Awareness, information, mobilisation......mobilisation......

– Media campaigns (local and regional press, TV Media campaigns (local and regional press, TV

and radio, posters) and institutionnal campainsand radio, posters) and institutionnal campains

– Local events : meetings and public debatesLocal events : meetings and public debates

– Travelling exhibition of the issues involved in Travelling exhibition of the issues involved in

water management (60 main towns)water management (60 main towns)

– Informing young people in a school contextInforming young people in a school context

For all to recognise...For all to recognise...

– A logoA logo

– A graphic charterA graphic charter

A questionnaire...A questionnaire...

Form an Form an opinionopinion

A web site...A web site...

To informTo inform

To collect To collect opinionsopinions

The balance-sheet...The balance-sheet...

– 3,300,000 questionnaires 3,300,000 questionnaires

distributed (into mail-boxes)distributed (into mail-boxes)

– E-mailing (to 50,000 addresses)E-mailing (to 50,000 addresses)

– 50,000 replies50,000 replies

– 45,000 on paper45,000 on paper

– 5,000 by Internet5,000 by Internet

Who were the most to Who were the most to reply and on what topics ? reply and on what topics ?

– Men aged more than 36Men aged more than 36

– Retired people, employees and working classRetired people, employees and working class(the lowest rate of reply was from farmers and young people)(the lowest rate of reply was from farmers and young people)

– Drinking water and water economy headed the Drinking water and water economy headed the list, far ahead of environmental issueslist, far ahead of environmental issues

– Pesticides and industrial waste were the Pesticides and industrial waste were the

respondents' principal concernsrespondents' principal concerns

The difficulties of the The difficulties of the exerciseexercise

– Few precedents for such public consultationsFew precedents for such public consultations

– Documents for water management very full in Documents for water management very full in

content, very technical and difficult to simplify content, very technical and difficult to simplify

(questionnaire very basic)(questionnaire very basic)

– Almost incomprehensible to the non-initiatedAlmost incomprehensible to the non-initiated

– General public hardly aware of water matters General public hardly aware of water matters

(notably among the young and country folk)(notably among the young and country folk)

– An incomplete idea of water’s environmental An incomplete idea of water’s environmental

aspects: the main image was merely of water to aspects: the main image was merely of water to

drinkdrink

Some paths towards Some paths towards improvementimprovement– Make the public more aware of water concerns Make the public more aware of water concerns

through an “ecologic” approachthrough an “ecologic” approach

– Catch their interest from the youngest age and Catch their interest from the youngest age and

in the schoolsin the schools

– Inform and communicate permanently, invent Inform and communicate permanently, invent

an appropriate new system of teachingan appropriate new system of teaching

– Form networks for receiving objective opinions, Form networks for receiving objective opinions,

from institutioinal bodies and local groups, and from institutioinal bodies and local groups, and

take heed of themtake heed of them

– Transcribe into understandable languageTranscribe into understandable language

Thank you for your interestThank you for your interest