proposition of a water politicy strategy for the conseil généra · web view3. the prospective...

TECHNICAL SYNTHESIS

PROPOSITION OF A STRATEGY ON WATER MANAGEMENT FOR THE PROPOSITION OF A STRATEGY ON WATER MANAGEMENT FOR THE CONSEIL GÉNÉRALCONSEIL GÉNÉRAL OF THE OF THE DÉPARTEMENTDÉPARTEMENT DRÔME BASED ON PROSPECTIVE SCENARIOS AND ON DRÔME BASED ON PROSPECTIVE SCENARIOS AND ON INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES OF THE INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES OF THE DÉPARTEMENTSDÉPARTEMENTS HÉRAULT AND BAS-RHIN HÉRAULT AND BAS-RHIN

Aude Delboë

E-mail: [email protected]

January 2006

ENGREF Centre de Montpellier Conseil Général de la DrômeB.P.44494 – 26 avenue Président Edouard Herriot Chamberland 26000 VALENCE34093 MONTPELLIER CEDEX 5Tél. (33) 4 67 04 71 00

INTRODUCTIONIn the framework of the general policy of decentralisation transferring more and more

missions from the French State to the local elected groups (Conseil Municipal, Conseil Général, Conseil Régional), the départements have seen their influence growing on the political stage. Nevertheless, their competence on water remains optional, which means that the Conseils Généraux do not receive any financing from the French State to this purpose, even if they actually have taken responsibility for most of the missions that were normally devoted to the State.

This study has been ordered by the Conseil Général of the Drôme, which role in the field of water was to date mainly a financial one. Now the Conseil Général wishes it could develop its action in the field of water but it needs to analyse the current situation before defining its strategy. What kind of strategy should it chose, for which benefit? Would it be sensible to commit in the so-called « patrimonial management » of the resource, a policy massively adopted by many other Conseils Généraux? What does this term mean, and what are the concrete experiences it relies on? What would be the impact of a higher influence of the Conseil Général on the use of water in the Drôme? These are the questions we will have to answer.

First, we will briefly examine the political context in which an increasing role of the Conseils Généraux could take place, particularly the impact of decentralisation in water management. Why should a Conseil Général invest in the field of water “in state of” the government? Who are the new stakeholders and what will be the future trends? What kind of legitimacy do the Conseils Généraux have, on which financial means could they rely on in the next years?

Then we will describe the specificity of the territory of the Drôme and the policy implemented by the Conseil Général of the Drôme to date. Then we will focus on the strategies adopted by two Conseils Généraux – of the départements Hérault and Bas-Rhin - which can be considered as leaders in water management. Indeed, they have set up original measures reflecting priorities related to their different local background. The measures that could be applied to the case of the Drôme will be developed.

In a third part, we will build different scenarios depending on the future level of implication of the Conseil Général of the Drôme in water management. Each scenario will be based on some hypotheses about decisive local factors in the département Drôme in a close future, like the structure of population, new trends in agriculture, water price, impact of global change, etc. The first scenario will predict the consequences of this new deal without any change in the actual strategy of the Conseil Général. The other scenarios will propose different evolutions of the situation depending on the kind of commitment of the Conseil Général. In this purpose, we will pick up some measures from the both leader départements studied that could at best fit to the local situation of the Drôme.

1- Decentralisation and water managementA) The successive stages of decentralisation

The Conseil Général, which is composed from local elected politicians, represents the executive power at the scale of a département. Its mode of election is based on territorial units named cantons, which gives a heavier influence of rural areas towards cities, and explains that the general policy of the Conseils Généraux may in some cases be turned towards the preservation of rural areas.

The process of decentralisation consists on transferring some missions that were initially fulfilled by the State to the local authorities. In 1789, the Act of the 22nd December has created the département, whose size and limits had to allow to go anywhere in one day riding. Then the Acts of 1831, 1833, 1837 and 1838 described the way of election of the conseillers généraux and municipaux, the representatives of the citizens at the level of the département and of the commune. Under the Third Republic, the Acts of 1871 and 1884 gave a juridical organisation to the département, initiating the process of local democracy.

But France stays a deeply centralised state, although the process of modern decentralisation really began in 1982. The Act of 2nd March 1982 transferred the executive power to the President of the Conseil Général, who is elected by the other Conseillers Généraux. The second part of decentralisation has recently began with the constitutional Act of 28th March 2003,

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which promotes a decentralised organisation of the Republic and the privileged status of the region towards the other local authorities. The départements have been reinforced by this reform, since a lot of new missions have been attributed to them, such as the management of the national road system. Nevertheless, water management still remains an optional competence, which means that the Conseils Généraux are allowed to invest in this field, but they don't receive any financing from the State to this end.

B– How do the Conseils Généraux commit in water management?

According to the French Assembly of Départements (ADF), the whole départements spent 672 billions Euro in 2001 for water, which illustrates the high level of their commitment in this field. A département invests in average 11,9 Euro per year and inhabitant in water management.

They intervene in three axes: funding, undertaking and follow-up of the projects.

The operations that are mainly subsidised (by at least 70% of the départements) are the reinforcement or replacement of the water networks, the research of new resources, the delimitation of protection areas around wells, the protection against flooding and the monitoring of the quality and quantity of the resource.

In fact, the two main intervention fields of the Conseils Généraux consist of the preservation of the water quality and of the drinking water supply, generally rather through financing and monitoring measures than through a direct implementation of the projects.

C– What is their legitimacy to act in the field of water?

Since ten years, the French State has focused its action on the control of the respect of rules, which has incited the Conseils Généraux to take over a technical role that was little by little let vacant.

Now according to the Conseils Généraux, their legitimacy to act in the field of water is based on three factors: their technical and financial commitment, their democratic legitimacy to take decisions for the general interest, and the necessity to manage water at a local scale (Cubertafond, 2005).

As an example of this, let's focus on the role of some Conseils Généraux in the research of new resources. The Conseil Général of Hérault is maître d'ouvrage for this kind of operation according to the demand of a commune, which means that it funds the costs of the operation. The interest of such an approach is that a Conseil Général has much more competence and financial means than a commune to enter upon such a study. It can take some calculated risks, whereas a commune couldn’t stand the financial consequences of a failure (Cadic, 2005). Moreover, water can sometimes be the sore point between users, like the source of the Cent-Fonts. In this case, a controversy has raised when the Conseil Général has launched a study to assess if this source could feed Montpellier in drinking water. As the executive power, the Conseil Général claims to hold the legitimacy to act for the general interest (Cubertafond, 2005).

D – Financing of the water policy of the département

Since 1982, the costs transferred to the local authorities have increased faster that the receipts aimed at compensating them, because of two added factors. First, the local authorities have been incited to take over some missions that were neglected by the French State (secondary schools, high schools). Then, the amount of new competencies delegated to them have strongly increased (Robert, 2005).

Although the competence for water remains optional, some Conseils Généraux like the Bas-Rhin, belong to the main financial partners of water management (figure 2) :

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Figure 1 : Funding of the investments in the field of water in the département Bas-Rhin in 2002 (source: Conseil Général of the Bas-Rhin)

To date, the main source of financing for the water policy of the Conseils Généraux, especially the supply of drinking water networks, came from a special fund called the FNDAE. The Conseil Général could enter into a contract with the State for several years. Then the State awarded the Conseil Général a specific part of the fund for developing water supply and sanitation in rural areas and the Conseil Général committed to provide at least as much financial backing as the State.

But since 2003, the French State changed its way of reallocating this fund to the departements, which triggered a decrease of 50 to 75 % of the distributed amounts. Most of the time, the départements chose to compensate this decrease of financing on their own budget (figure 3).

Figure 2 : Evolution of the financial contribution of the CG of the Drôme comparing to the FNDAE

In his report on water management on the territory presented to the National Assembly on the 3rd November 2003, the deputy Jean Launay proposed a new mode of financing to be attributed to the Conseils Généraux for enabling them to respond to their broadened competencies (Launay J., 2003). His proposition consists of the institution of Departemental Funds based on a tax on the amount of consumed water to replace the FNDAE.

Nevertheless, the uncertainty on the future way of financing makes fear that the Conseils Généraux could focus on their compulsory missions, at the expense of the field of water (Brugneaux, 2005). The Assembly of French Departements and the Sénat currently report to the government the wiliness of the Conseils Généraux to see the institution of these departemental Funds, which would give a real legitimacy to their action (Cubertafond , 2005).

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0,E+001,E+062,E+063,E+064,E+065,E+066,E+067,E+068,E+069,E+06

97-20 02

2003 2004 2005 year

Conseilgénéral

FNDAE

Total

Financing(euros)

2. Comparison of the actions of the Conseil Général of the Drôme and of two leader départements in water management: Hérault and Bas-Rhin

A) Local background of the Drôme

a) The use of water

In the Département Drôme, the whole drinking water supply (75 Mm3) comes from the groundwater. This resource is also used for irrigation at the rate of 45 Mm3 pumped from the groundwater of the plain of la Valloire and from the Miocène at the North of the département. With 9000 farmers, agriculture is an important part of the economy since its turn-over represents 20% of this of the region Rhône-Alpes. The cultivated crops are maize, tomatoes and fruit trees, which explains that 60 000 ha are irrigated.

The resource for irrigation comes also from the rivers, mainly from the Drôme, the Bourne and the Rhône. Whereas the level of the Rhône remains high in the summer, there are often low waters in the river Drôme, which triggers off use restrictions of water for irrigation.

To date the conflicts concerning the river Drôme have been well-managed thanks to a consulting process named SAGE (Schéma d'Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux), and the wiliness of the farmers to do some compromise. A first step has been made when the farmers agreed to limit at the rate of 1 billion of m3 the amount of pumped water in the Drôme, by using the dam of Les Juanons instead, fed in winter with water from the Bourne. Moreover, the SAGE forbids any further extension of the total irrigated area on the Drôme Basin (Bouleau et Barreteau, 2005).

b) The resource

The water resource consists on alluvial and sedimentary layers with a high potentiality as groundwater tables. The resource is rather sensitive at a quantitative point of view than at a qualitative one, except on the plain of Valence and along the Rhône, two areas particularly exposed to pollution.

Concerning the new resources, a PhD has been launched on the groundwater of the Miocène, at the North of the département, to determine if the level of the current use disturbs its functioning or if the pumped amounts could be increased without any risk. Indeed, this groundwater is the biggest reservoir of water in the region, and is already tapped at the rate of 9 Mm3 for drinking water and of 16 Mm3 for irrigation (La Vaissière, 2004).

Moreover, many interests are at stake about the use of the karstic groundwater of la Gervanne, which is not currently much tapped. The Conseil Général of the Drôme defends the patrimonial interest of this groundwater, because of its possible utility for irrigation. On the contrary, the representative office of the Environment Ministry in the région, the DIREN, only recognises this characteristic to water tables that can provide drinking water, which is not the case for the karst of la Gervanne (Babylon, 2005). In this background, the Conseil Général of the Drôme has implemented a project aimed at studying the opportunity of pumping water from this groundwater and to inject it in the Gervanne, a river which feeds the Drôme, in order to fill the needs of irrigation in summer.

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B) Local backgrounds in Hérault and Bas-Rhin

Local situation Budget

Hérault

A Mediterranean hydrological system (severe droughts, floods)

A vulnerable resource, unequally spread out

One of the highest demographic growth in France

Concentration of the population on sensitive littoral areas

A local economy based on activities bound to water (Tourism, agriculture, oysters)

Budget for Water :25 millions €

Part of the total budget total devoted to water : 2.5 %

Budget for water/inhabitant/year : 25 €

Bas-Rhin

The groundwater is common to the whole région Alsace and is very sensitive to pollution.

The basin Rhin-Meuse is an area of high economic activity where water plays a major role (energetic production, fluvial transport, drinking water, and industry).

Half of the communes are threatened by flooding.

Budget for Water :16 millions €

Part of the total budget total devoted to water : 2 %

Budget for water/inhabitant/year : 15 €

C) Measures implemented by the three departments accorded to their situations and priorities

a) Synthetic presentation

Act

ion

Fiel

ds Conseil Général of Drôme Conseil Général of Hérault Conseil Général of Bas-Rhin

Drin

king

wat

er

Technical and financial assistance to the rural communes for the development of water networks

Diversification of the resource (supply of the North and West of Montpellier in raw water from the irrigation canal of BRL) Research of new water tables to be tapped

Technical assistance to the rural communes for the preventive management of water networks

Pres

erva

tion

of th

e en

viro

nmen

t and

kno

wle

dge

of th

e re

sour

ce Sewerage : SATESE

Observatory of the level and quality of the surface waters and of the groundwater. Inactive since 2001

Sewerage: SATESE, SATANC

Tools of knowledge and management : network of measures of quality and quantity of the groundwater, Réseau Fédérateur

Sewerage: SATESA

RID (Réseau d’Intérêt Départemental) doubling the number of measure points of the river quality

Observatoire Départemental de l’Eau : in process, aimed at a more concerted vision of water management

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Act

ion

Fiel

ds Conseil Général of Drôme Conseil Général of Hérault Conseil Général of Bas-Rhin

Act

ions

aim

ed a

t the

ag

ricul

tura

l fie

ld

Financing of irrigation in underprivileged areas

Financing of the modernisation of collective networks

Studies in hydraulics: networks modelling, research of new potential resources

Struggle against agricultural pollutionSubsidising of irrigation networks

Promotion of the raw water from the irrigation canal of BRL for a private useLaunching of the program Aqua 2020

Subsidising of the Voluntary Agreements on Sustainable Agriculture (CAD) and of the Programs of Measures Against Agricultural Pollution (PMPOA)

Floo

ding

pr

even

tion

Maintenance of river banks, financing, work programs

Leader département for the Prevention and Protection Plans against Flooding (PPRI); strong commitment in the Syndicat Mixte du Vidourle

Subsidising of the river maintenance

Members of the local network for flooding announce

Con

cert

ed

man

agem

ent o

f th

e re

sour

ce

Financing of the Agreements on Rivers, but no implication in the elaboration of their programmes

Leader and partner of all the processes of concerted decisions in the département

Pioneers in concerted management with the SAGEECE (the first SAGE)

To have a better comprehension of the priorities of the Conseils Généraux, let’s see how they spread out their budget among the different quoted actions (figure 5):

Figure 3 : Comparison of the budgets devoted to water by the Conseil Général of the départements Hérault and Bas-Rhin (source :Conseil Général of the Bas-Rhin and of Hérault)

b) Comments

The policy implemented in the Drôme follows two main priorities: water supply and sanitation and irrigation. The stakes are rather on the available amounts of the resource than on the qualitative aspects.

Since 1995, the region Alsace and the départements of the Bas-Rhin and of the Haut-Rhin have shared the responsibilities on water management. The region has decided to take care about the groundwater and the départements have involved in the management of the surface water. The Conseil Général of the Bas-Rhin has focused its strategy on the improvement of water services. The originality of its policy consists in its strong involvement in the technical assistance to the communes and in the preventive management of their networks. In that goal, the Conseil Général

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set off a partnership with an engineering school for water management in Strasbourg called ENGEES (Ecole Nationale de la Gestion de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg) to develop an adapted software aimed at optimising the shelf-life of the networks and the investments. Moreover, the Bas-Rhin was chosen to participate to a national inquiry concerning the technical state of the drinking water networks. The département decided to deepen this question by carrying out an inventory of the sewerage networks on its territory. Indeed, it is part of the policy of the CG67 to promote the inventory of the networks as an indispensable first step to a good management. Finally, the CG67 is one of the only départements that is seriously envisaging to subsidise the replacement of the networks, to avoid a brutal increase of the water price announced by all experts.

The strategy adopted by the Conseil Général of Hérault is focused on the quantitative and qualitative reliability of the supply of drinking water, an objective that collects 34% of the budget devoted to water. A particular effort is done to satisfy the uses, but the agricultural one is not privileged. The real originality of the policy of the département Hérault consists in its commitment for the knowledge on the resource. Indeed, it was one of the first département that decided to carry out a database gathering qualitative and quantitative measures on groundwater and surface water, as described in table 1.

Observatories of the resource Partnership Sampling Analysed

parameters Annual cost

Interest of the approach

Observatory of the quality of the surface water

Water Board, French State

20 to 30 measure points

- Physics & chemistry- Biology- Sanitary quality

100 000 €

- To assess the efficacy of the investments - To allocate the investments to come

Observatory of the

groundwater

Piezo-metry

Water Board, DIREN, BRGM, local authorities

35 measure points Level of the time table 100 000 €

- Good vision the evolution of the levels- Anticipation of an excessive use- Assessment of the new possible resources

Quality Water Board, DIREN, BRGM 40 measure points

1. - Classical analysis on 60 points

2.3. - Research of

314 pesticides on

18 points

1,2M €

- To identify the resource of good quality to be preserved- To plan the necessary investments for the respect of norms

“Réseau Fédérateur Eau et Milieux naturels”

Organisation of the data in general themes (meteorology, quality, sewerage, drinking water, groundwater…)

Table 1 : Characteristics of the monitoring networks on water implemented in the departement Hérault.

Launched for 5 years since 2000, this monitoring of the resource through three observatories is one of the most ambitious programmes of the département Hérault. The elected representative being convinced of its usefulness, it has just been renewed for 3 years.

Indeed, the system has already proven its efficiency. For example, the local authority in charge of the management of the timetable designed as “nappe Astienne” in Hérault has been worried about the decrease of its level thanks to the piezometric measures of the network. This new awareness of the scarcity of the resource has triggered the negotiation of an Agreement on the Groundwater and the implementation of a concerted procedure called a SAGE.

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3. The prospective method applied on the département Drôme: proposition of scenarios staging long-term stakes about water

Should the Conseil Général of the Drôme develop a more ambitious strategy in water management, or could it keep on focusing on its financial role, mainly at the benefit of the agricultural sector? Among the large scope of tools at its disposal, how could the models implemented by the Conseil Généraux of Bas-Rhin and of Hérault be applied to the case of the Drôme? What would be the possible benefit of a so-called “patrimonial management”? To attempt to answer these questions, the future of the Drôme has been staged in prospective scenarios.

Since their origin, prospective scenarios are essentially literary essays aimed at illustrating an idea of the future. Peter Schwartz proposes the following definition: « scenarios are stories and myths about the future » (Schwartz, 1998). Some other approaches insist more on the idea of a logical sequence of events with a significant impact on the political choices. Therefore, according to Ahn and Wiener (Ahn & Wiener, 1967): « scenarios stage sequences of hypothetical events in order to highlight the causal processes and the decisional stakes».

Four scenarios based on interviews with experts of the département Drôme (Baylon, 2005 and Bouleau, 2005) and of a bibliographical research have been foreseen in this study. From one to another, the changing hypotheses have been written in Italics.

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Scenario 1:

Environment and industry

Climate change triggers off more severe low water of the rivers Drôme and Isère

The nuclear programme is kept of order: priority of the deducted amounts on the Rhone for that use

Population

Increasing settlement of young urban people and of retired people in rural areas

Food purchase in big storesIncrease of the tourist population

in summer

Agriculture

No influence of the new CAP on the farmers choices

The surface cultivated in maize remains the same

Agriculture represents a high economic value The number of farms remains

the same

For the farmers:Irrigation is legitimated by its hign turn over in the Drome

Resource from surface waters becomes scarce : more deducted amounts in the groundwater

For the urban users:CAP doesn't give any legitimacy to

farmers Their way of life is « unplugged »

from the rural world No symbolic value of irrigated maize

in the Drome

Conflict

Reject of the policy of the CG26 by the other users

No real structure of concerted management of water in the Drôme (the SAGE hasn't any executive stakeholder)

No resolution of the conflict/ Departure of a fraction of new inhabitants to other départements/ Diminution of the tourismEconomic loss for the département

Increasing use of the groundwater for the access to drinking water and of surface water for leisure (swimming pool, river sports)

Total deducted amount for agriculture remains the same

Amount of the water billPressure on the resource

Public policies

CG 26

Focuses on its compulsory competences for financial reasons

Loss of influence of the Conseils Généraux at the benefit of other local stakeholders (local authorities)

High solidarity with the farmersThe current policy in favour of the

agricultural use of water is kept of order

French State

Let the competence for water remain optional

No particular way of financing water policy is attributed to the départements

Accentuated retreat of the State on its technical missions

Europe

More severe norms of water quality are laid down

Severe restrictions on the use of water for leisureTourism is affected

Legitimacy of the use for water

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Scenario 2:



The nuclear programme is kept of order : priority of the deducted amounts on the Rhone for that use

Population


Way of life sustaining the local production; purchase of organic products

Increase of the tourist population in summer

Agriculture

The new PAC does'nt incitate the cultivation of maize anymore

Decrease of the cultivated area of maize on behalf of non irrigated crops, aromatic plants and ground-plot

Decrease of the agricultural sector and of the number of farms

For the farmers:Less numerousStill an economic weight (high added value of the aromatic plants)

Resource from surface waters becomes scarce : more deducted amounts in the groundwater

For the urban users:Legitimacy due to a higher political weight Way of life closer to the rural worldBetter acceptation of the new image of the

Drôme (aromatic plants)

No conflict

Maintenance of tourism and of an agricultural activity in the Drôme


Decrease of the consumed water for irrigation


Public policies

CG 26

Focuses on its compulsory competences for financial reasons

Loss of influence of the Conseils Généraux at the benefit of other local stakeholders (local authorities)

High solidarity with the farmersThe current policy in favour of the

agricultural use of water is kept of order

French State

Let the competence « water » remain optional

No particular way of financing water policy is attributed to the départements


Europe

More severe norms of water quality are laid down

Less restrictions on the leisures bound with water


Development of the existing irrigation networks to the private consumers by irrigators associations

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Scenario 3:



The nuclear programme is kept of order : priority of the deducted amounts on the Rhone for that use

Population




Agriculture

No influence of the new CAP on the choices of the farmers



the same

For the farmers:Legitimacy of the economic weight

Resource from surface waters becomes scarce : more deducted

For the urban users:CAP doesn't give any legitimacy to farmers Way of life « unplugged » from the rural

world No symbolic value of irrigated maize in

the Drome

The competition between users doesn't trigger off any conflict but negotiations to attribute amounts of water to the different uses

The proposition of the CG26 to pump in untapped resources as the karstic layer of the Gervanne is accepted




Public policies

CG 26The Fonds Départementaux give a teal

legitimacy to the départementsIncreasing influence of the CG towards

other local stakeholdersStronger implication on water: Assistance

to the preventive management of networks, financing of raw water networks, financing of the replacement of drinking water networks, main partner of the process of concerted management

French State

Let the competence « water » remain optional

Introduces the Fonds Départementaux


Europe

More severe norms on water quality are laid down

Severe restrictions on the use of water for leisure


Stronger weight of the process of concerted management in the département

Development of the irrigation networks to the private consumers by irrigants

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Scenario 4:

Industrie et environnement

Changement climatique induit des étiages plus sévères sur la Drôme et l’Isère

Maintien du programme nucléaire : priorité des prélèvements sur le Rhône pour cet usage

Population




Agriculture

No influence of the new CAP on the choices of the farmers



the same

For the farmers:Legitimacy of the economic weight

Resource from surface waters becomes scarce : more deducted

For the urban users:CAP doesn't give any legitimacy to farmers Way of life « unplugged » of the rural world No symbolic value of irrigated maize in

the Drome

The rivalry between users doesn't trigger off any conflict but negotiations to attribute amounts of water to the different uses

The proposition of the CG26 to pump in untapped resources such as the karstic layer of the Gervanne is accepted




Public policies

CG 26

The Fonds Départementaux give a real legitimacy to the départements

Stronger commitment in water management : implementation of a patrimonial strategy focused on the resource (leadership of a database to follow up the quality and quantity of the ressource)

French State

Gives the compulsory competence of water to the départements

Introduces the Fonds Départementaux

Gives totally up its former technical missions on water management

Europe

More severe norms on water quality are laid down

The European Framework Directive on Water obliges the state members to follow up the quality of the resource

Severe restrictions on the use of water for leisure


Scientific datas on the level of aquifers are available thanks to the monitoring network

Prevention of pollutionQuick reaction if the quality of the resource decreases => Less treatments are needed

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These scenarios are built on the aspect of use conflict for water. Three variables are considered to be liable to influence the probability of a conflict. These variables are the followings ones: water availability, water price and legitimacy of two main competing uses: this of private consumers (inhabitants and tourists) and of farmers.

In each scenario, the factor “Industry and Environment”, which has a strong impact on the availability of the resource, remains the same. Indeed, it's very likely that France will keep of order its energetic policy based on nuclear power. Moreover, the pressure on the resource will be emphasised by the effect of global warming. According to some recent results of the International Research Group on Climate Change, temperature should increase of 2 to 6 degrees in the next years.

Concerning the structure of the population of the Drôme, each scenario has considered an increasing settlement of new inhabitants from the cities to the rural areas. This phenomenon has already been observed in the public inquiry Agreste, whose last results highlight a phenomenon of out-of-town settlement at the rate of 1,3% per year. Besides, the hypothesis of an increase of tourism in the Drôme has not been discussed from a scenario to another, since the figures from the Observatory of Tourism of the Drôme enable to assume that this activity is making great strides. These both factors also play on the availability of the resource, since the way of life of private consumers and tourists are known to require high amounts of water.

Finally, two possible impacts of the new Common Agricultural Policy have been staged in the scenarios. Before the last reform of the CAP, a farmer received a high rate of subsidies for irrigated maize, which was proportional to the produced amounts. Now the system has changed, and the level of subsidies doesn't depend on the production anymore. Many other factors - macroeconomic, microeconomic, and sociologic – are capable of influencing on the choice of the cultivated crops. This is the reason why I have decided to consider the two opposite effects of the CAP: at the one hand, a decrease of the maize areas and on the other hand, an absence of influence of this new deal on the farmers choices.

In the first scenario, the three variables of conflict are gathered, and there is no institution capable of solving it, which triggers an economic loss for the département. Let’s notice that the current policy of the Conseil Général represents one of the releasing factors of the conflict, since its policy in favour of irrigation is suddenly rejected by the other users.

In the scenario 2, the conflict is avoided under two conditions. On the one hand, the pressure on the resource due to irrigation decreases, because of a negative impact of the new CAP on the agricultural sector. Then, the private consumers are more ready to tolerate a new kind of agriculture that includes wheat, colza and aromatic plants. Moreover, the access to water is facilitated by the initiative of irrigators associations. Indeed, their interest is to make their investment in irrigation networks profitable, but they suffer from the decrease of customers because of the general abandon of irrigated maize. Therefore, they logically decide to develop their networks in direction of the private consumers and to offer them an attractive price of water. Under these conditions, the eventual conflicts are defused, even without any stronger commitment from the Conseil Général.

In the scenario 3, the Conseil Général of the Drôme implements an innovative strategy based on three main measures. First, it consists on facilitating the access of the private consumers to a cheap, raw water coming from irrigation networks. That for, the Conseil Général of the Drôme follows the example of the Conseil Général of Hérault, which has decided to promote the extension of the canal managed by the company Bas Rhône Languedoc and fed by the Rhône. Then, the Conseil Général of the Drôme promotes the creation of associations having an executive power at the scale of a watershed, as the Conseil Général of Hérault already does. Indeed, the current SAGE of the Drôme is only describing common objectives but has no leader capable of implementing a project. That is why the Conseil Général of the Drôme decides to take part to such associations in order to be a leader partner in the concerted process, and not be satisfied with only financing them, as it did to date. The last measure adopted by the Conseil Général of the Drôme would consist on developing an assistance to the commune for a preventive management of their networks, on the example of the Conseil Général of the Bas-Rhin. The goals of such a measure would be to optimise the replacement strategies and to help the rural communes to better plan their investments. This would have a positive impact on the price of water. Thanks to these three measures, the conflict is avoided, which enables the Conseil Général to propose the use of new,

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untapped resource like the karst of La Gervanne without triggering any controversy.

The scenario 4 is based on a strategy from the Conseil Général focused on the resource and not on the uses. The département commits in an approach of patrimonial management aimed at the monitoring of the quality and quantity of the resource. This strategy, adopted by a high number of Conseils Généraux, is made indispensable by the added effects of the European Framework Directive and he total retreat of the French State from the technical aspects of water management. Thanks to its observatory, the Conseil Général is able to anticipate emergency situations. Moreover, it has solid figures at its disposal, which gives him the capacity of leading negotiations among the users and to propose amounts of water to be devoted to each use on the base of objective data.

CONCLUSIONIt has been shown in this brief study that the Conseil Généraux can’t possibly afford to be uninterested in water. As a major stake in the coming years, water is the strategic field where the Conseils Généraux have already began to position themselves. Moreover, the retreat of the French State on the technical aspects of water management encourages them to start taking initiatives in this field before being obliged to do so. In this background, the wiliness of the Conseil Général of the Drôme to implement a more ambitious water policy seems particularly sensible. This study has enabled to show that a strategy of “patrimonial management” would have positive effects on the resource management in the Drôme. In the case where the Conseil Général would choose to focus its action on water services, the conflicts would be avoided. The last scenario staging a policy aimed at a better knowledge of the resource, has the same effects on the conflicts but is a more long-term one. For want of time, the decisive variables of the scenarios (amounts of water needed or consumed, price of water and costs of the different measures) have not been assessed in figures. Nevertheless, this would be a very interesting continuation of the work done here as an additional help to the decisional process.

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proposition of a water politicy strategy for the conseil généra · web view3. the prospective...

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