History

The International Office for Water was created in 1991 through the merger of the following three bodies, in order to pool and combine their resources and activities:

• The French Association for the Study of Water (AFEE, Paris), which was founded in 1949 by “industrial consortia” representing “industries interested in water supply and distribution” and “water-consuming industries with a special interest in water quality”.
• The International Training Centre for Water Resources Management (CEFIGRE, Sophia Antipolis), which was set up in 1976 by the French government and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in order to address the water resource management needs of the international community.
• The Limoges Water Foundation, which was created in 1977 by the University of Limoges (Water Programme), local authorities, the Ministry of the Environment and water-sector companies.

Since its inception, OiEau’s mission has been to “develop skills for better water management” in France, Europe and worldwide, by placing its know-how at the service of the International Water Community through its four long-standing areas of expertise: technical and institutional assistance & cooperation, training & educational engineering, knowledge development & information systems, and management and development of the network of water stakeholders.

OiEau is constantly revising and updating its practices, methods, tools and analyses, adapting to keep pace with the latest water issues and challenges in France and globally while remaining true to its identity centred on the general interest and public utility.