New edition of the guide to developing and implementing SAGEs: an updated tool to support water stakeholders

This guide is primarily intended for SAGE facilitators, as well as decentralised government departments (DDT-M, DREAL, DRIEAT, DEAL) and water agencies that monitor SAGE initiatives.

It is an operational document designed to provide step-by-step guidance to stakeholders at each stage of the SAGE process: inception, review, development, implementation, revision and modification, in a context of ongoing regulatory change.

The last complete version of the guide was published in 2015, followed by partial adjustments in 2019.

This new edition includes:

• The incorporation of the decree published in December 2024: new regulations have been incorporated to ensure that the SAGE procedure is interpreted in a consistent and up-to-date manner;
• A stronger operational focus: the 2025 version includes more feedback to help stakeholders better understand the key steps and points to watch out for in the field;
• The addition of a new checklist: this checklist summarises, for each stage, who does what and when. A much-anticipated tool to facilitate the management and implementation of procedures;
• A clarification of the scope of the guide: the document remains strictly focused on the procedure and does not address thematic issues such as quantitative and qualitative management or the preservation of aquatic environments.

The guide was produced by the Water and Biodiversity Directorate (DEB) and led by the Water Policy Office.

It is based on an editorial committee comprising volunteers from the national SAGE technical group, including:

• representatives of water agencies,
• agents from decentralised government departments,
• SAGE facilitators,

and OiEau, which is particularly involved in the Gest'eau resource centre.

Le guide a été réalisé par la Direction de l’eau et de la biodiversité (DEB), et piloté par le Bureau de la politique de l’eau.

Il s’appuie sur un comité rédactionnel regroupant des volontaires du groupe technique national SAGE avec :

• des représentants des agences de l’eau,
• des agents des services déconcentrés de l’État,
• des animateurs de SAGE,

ainsi que l’OiEau, mobilisé notamment dans le cadre du centre de ressources Gest’eau.

For additional information, the guide refers readers to the Gest’eau resource centre, which offers:

• a brochure presenting the SAGE decree

• the Ministry's FAQ (currently being updated)

• a Profession section to support SAGE facilitators

• experience sharing, in particular a forum for facilitators to exchange ideas;

• a document database containing a whole range of documents relating to SAGE.

Gest’eau also allows users to follow the progress of SAGE thanks to dedicated fact sheets for each SAGE and a national situation map.

Gest'eau was created and is managed by OiEau, with financial support from the OFB (French Office for Biodiversity) and financial and technical support from the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

By updating this strategic guide, the Ministry is providing a clearer and more practical tool with numerous concrete examples.

An indispensable resource for facilitators, government departments and partners working on a daily basis to bring the SAGEs to life.