- Climate change
- Water, urban planning and sustainable development
- Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)
- Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: solutions with OiEau
Dramatic events around the world regularly illustrate the extent to which water is the first victim of climate change.
Every 13 October, with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNESCO aims to change the paradigm from reactive policies to preventive action. The aim is to help countries build their capacity to manage disaster and climate risks.
Through its expertise, OiEau promotes solutions to prevent and mitigate these impacts.
The rise in temperature leads to an increase in evapotranspiration, with more water vapour in the atmosphere and less "liquid" water available. As a result, extreme phenomena are more frequent and more intense: violent rain and floods, long periods of drought, etc.
The projects and actions carried out by OiEau contribute to the prevention of such phenomena.
Knowledge of the resource is one of the primary factors in controlling risks: accurate measurement of levels and the establishment of reliable Water Information Systems with interoperable data help to set up early warning systems and assess the risks of disasters. Spatial hydrology is a technology of the future for obtaining frequent and accurate data, free from borders and difficulties in the field. OiEau is closely involved in this technology, since it has been coordinating the activities of the "space hydrology" group in France since 2014, one of the concrete results of which was the launch of the SWOT(Surface Water Ocean Topography) satellite last December.
By sharing experience and knowledge, solutions can be disseminated for the benefit of all. OiEau participates in the development and running of networks of stakeholders, from local to international level, particularly for transboundary basins, because climate change knows no borders. At a time when the role of water in international relations is becoming more strategic by the day, these networks are clearly tools for limiting risks and promoting peace.
OiEau also promotes an integrated approach to water resource management. The implementation of IWRMis at the heart of our support and cooperation missions, in order to involve all the stakeholders and users, and to adapt the political and regulatory frameworks, promoting the resilience of territories.
At a time when almost 60% of the world's population lives in urban areas, making cities more resilient is vital. Alternative stormwatermanagement, the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) help to rebuild the city-basin link, for sustainable management of the quantity and quality of water resources and to prepare for extreme events.
Climate change is also about the increasing scarcity of water resources, and the adoption of water-saving practices. We need to make better use of infrastructure and facilities, and that means training operators. The OiEau training centre welcomes nearly 6,000 trainees every year, who come to upgrade their knowledge or discover new technologies. Reducing network leakage, alternative rainwater management techniques and flood prevention are just some of the topics covered, in the front line of tackling the impacts of climate change.
Since 2021, the "Water and Nature" declaration has gathered more than 80 signatories around the world. This initiative, launched by the World Water Council (WWC), the International Office for Water (IOWater), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO), calls for a strengthened and lasting dialogue between the water and nature communities.
It underlines the interdependence between water and the environment and emphasises the need to preserve aquatic ecosystems and water resources and thus ensure sustainable water management in the long term.
In France, this international day is combined with the "Tous résilients face aux risques" (All resilient in the face of risk) day, which aims to raise awareness, inform and acculturate all citizens to the risks that surround them, through practical exercises and with the aim of helping to prepare everyone to behave correctly in the event of a disaster.
Our risk reduction projects
