Groundwater Management Planning at the River Basin District Level: Comparative Analysis of the Adour-Garonne and Loire-Bretagne River Basins

Abstract

In France, water resource management issues are addressed in the framework of blueprints which set out the strategic master plans for managing river basins (SDAGE). Master plans are then refined at local level (SAGE) in Local Plans jointly developed by stakeholders. This chapter describes how strategic Master Plans are formulated and implemented. It focuses on quantitative groundwater management issues and the legal and regulatory framework which defines planning objectives and practices. In addition, the chapter provides an historical analysis of 20 years of groundwater planning in the Adour-Garonne and Loire-Bretagne river basin districts, based on two of the authors’ personnal experience.