Water management seminars address resource scarcity in France

Recent seminars in France have addressed the growing water crisis following a period of intense heat and drought. In Brittany, the Festi’Rural 2026 event focused on regenerative hydrology. Agronomist Samuel Bonvoisin presented the concept of ‘cultivating water,’ which emphasizes managing the ‘green water’ cycle through soil and vegetation care to slow water flow, increase infiltration, and improve storage in landscapes to mitigate both floods and droughts.

In Toulouse, France Nature Environnement Occitanie Pyrénées held a seminar regarding the Adour-Garonne basin. Following what was described as the hottest summer observed in France since 1900, experts highlighted alarming projections for the region. Climate models suggest that by 2050, the area could face a 35% to 60% loss in snow cover and a 30% to 50% decrease in groundwater recharge, conditions that may become the norm as the region acts as a climate change hotspot.