water and energy

1. WATER4LIFE
&
WEALTH IN OUR COUNTRY
FRANCE/RHÔNE-ALPES
SIMON LARVOR
&
ANTHONY MASON

2. OUTLINE
PART 1: WATER IN FRANCE AND IN RHONE-ALPES
A. MAP OF RIVERS
B. MAP OF LAKES AND PONDS
C. LEVEL OF RAINFALL IN A YEAR
D. GLACIERS AND THERMAL SOURCES
PART 2: USAGE OF WATER RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC
PURPOSES
A. HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS, DAMS
B. IMPORTANCE OF WATER AS TRADE AND
COMMUNICATION ROUTES
C. FISHING IN RIVERS LAKES AND SEAS
D. FRESHWATER SPRINGS

3. PART 1:WATER IN FRANCE AND IN RHÔNE-ALPES
FRANCE RHONE-ALPES

4. A. MAPS OF RIVERS
THERE ARE 525 000 KMS OF RIVERS
AND STREAMS IN FRANCE (COUNTING
STREAMS LONGER THAN 1KM).
IN THE FRANCE THERE ARE FIVE BIG
RIVERS: THE RHÔNE, THE LOIRE, THE
SEINE, THE RHIN AND THE GARONNE.
IN OUR REGION, WE HAVE THE FAMOUS
RHÔNE, AND THE ARVE WHICH COMES
FROM CHAMONIX MT BLANC.
SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.STATISTIQUES.DEVELOPPEMENT-DURABLE.
GOUV.FR/LESSENTIEL/AR/234/1108/EAUX-SURFACE.
HTML

5. B. MAPS OF LAKES, PONDS
THERE ARE ALMOST 34 000
FRESHWATER LAKES, PONDS,
RESERVOIR WITH DAMS, IN FRANCE.
535 OF THEM HAVE A SURFACE OVER
FIFTY HECTARES.1
IN THE RHÔNE ALPES REGION THERE
ARE LAKES SUCH AS: THE LEMAN LAKE,
THE ANNECY LAKE, LAC DU BOURGET
WHICH IS THE BIGGEST LAKE IN
FRANCE .
1. SOURCE:
HTTP://WWW.STATISTIQUES.DEVELOPPEMENT-DURABLE.
GOUV.FR/LESSENTIEL/AR/234/1108/EAU
X-SURFACE.HTML

6. C. LEVEL OF RAINFALL
IN A YEAR
THERE IS AN AVERAGE RAINFALL OF 135CM IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HAUTE SAVOIE IN COMPARISON THE
AVERAGE RAINFALL IN FRANCE RANGES FROM 50CM TO
200CM1
THE FRENCH TERRITORY GETS IN AVERAGE 480 KM3 OF
RAINFALL PER YEAR2
• 61 % EVAPORATES
• 16 % GOES INTO RIVERS LAKES
• 23 %INFILTRATES THE GROUND TO REPLENISH THE
UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLIES
1 (http://pluiesextremes.meteo.fr/hauteurs-moyennes-annuelles-
de-precipitations_r213.html)
2 (http://www.cieau.com/les-ressources-en-eau/en-france/
le-panorama-des-ressources)

7. D. GLACIERS
AND THERMAL
SOURCES
IN THE ALPS THERE ARE SEVERAL GLACIERS
WHICH ARE SHRINKING LIKE IN CHAMONIX:
MER DE GLACE (7KM LONG GLACIER)
LE GLACIER DES BOSSONS
LE GLACIER D'ARGENTIÈRE
THERE ARE 88 THERMAL SITES IN
FRANCE. SOME OF THE ONES IN OUR
REGION ARE: AIX LES BAINS (3RD
LARGEST), EVIAN LES BAINS, SAINT
GERVAIS LES BAINS ETC.

8. PART 2: USAGE OF WATER RESOURCES FOR
ECONOMIC PURPOSES

9. A. HYDROPOWER IN FRANCE
• THERE ARE 465 HYDROPOWER PLANTS AND THEY
REPRESENT 16.8% OF THE FRENCH ELECTRICITY
PRODUCTION.
• MORE THAN 4,600 DAMS, NATURE AND DIVERSE
SIZE
• AND ABOUT 8500 IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

10. B. IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS AS TRADE AND
COMMUNICATION ROUTES
• RIVERS IN FRANCE ARE USED FOR TRANSPORTATION AND AS WELL
FOR TOURISM LIKE THE BATEAU MOUCHE IN PARIS, AND WHITE
WATER RAFTING IN THE ARVE RIVER NEAR CHAMONIX.
• HAVING RIVERS IS A GOOD COMMUNICATION ROUTE AND IT HELPS
TO AVOID HAVING TOO MUCH TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE CASE OF THE
AXIS SAÔNE-RHÔNE, WHICH FLOWS THROUGH THE REGION FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH, AND CONNECTS THE PLAINS OF CENTRAL AND
WESTERN FRANCE WITH ALPINE VALLEYS BETWEEN ITALY AND
SWITZERLAND.
WITH ITS POSITIONING, THE RHONE-ALPES REGION PROVIDES A
LINK BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE, AND IT IS
LARGELY OPEN TO EUROPE.
• 550 KM OF WATERWAYS INCLUDING 320 KM OF WATERWAYS
LARGE BOATS ON THE RHONE AND THE SAONE IS 220 KM.
• ON LAKES, BOATS ARE USED FOR TOURISM PURPOSES ESPECIALLY
IN THE SUMMER FROM SMALL RENTAL BOATS LIKE PEDAL BOATS
TO LARGE TOURIST/RESTAURANT BOATS. ON LAKE LEMAN THERE
ARE ALSO COMMUTING BOATS FROM EVIAN TO LAUSANNE FOR
INSTANCE.

11. C. FISHING IN RIVERS, LAKES AND SEAS
• THE FACT THAT OUR REGION IS NOT
NEAR THE SEA, FISHING IS NOT
PRACTICAL AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL,
HOWEVER IT IS STILL PRACTICED FOR
FUN AND PERSONAL USE.
SO THIS IS WHY THE RHONE-ALPES
REGION IS SUPPLIED WITH FISH FROM
THE FRENCH COASTS. BUT THERE IS
FISHING IN THE LAKES TO CATCH
POPULAR PERCHE DU LEMAN
• THERE ARE 2 000 000 FISHERMEN IN
FRANCE, 400 000 IN OUR REGION, OF
WHICH 57 ARE PROFESIONNAL RIVER
FISHERMEN.
SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.RHONE-MEDITERRANEE.
EAUFRANCE.FR/USAGES-ET-PRESSIONS/PECHE/

12. D. FRESH WATER STREAMS
FRESH WATER IS OFTEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
• FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT: VERY EFFECTIVE MINERALIZATION
WHICH FORMS THE BASIS FOR THE CURATIVE EFFECTS OF
DIFFERENT MEDICAL TREATMENTS (TO TREAT DISEASES OF
STOMACH, LIVER AND INTESTINE) AND BALNEOTHERAPY
(TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY BATHING).
• FOR SKIN CREAMS, SHAMPOO, AND OTHER BEAUTY TREATMENTS.
• FOR POOLS, SPAS, BATHS, OR JUST TO WASH YOURSELF.
• FOR DRINKING: SPRING WATER BOTTLES ARE VERY POPULAR IN
FRANCE AND A BIG BUSINESS: THE FRENCH MINERAL WATER
PRODUCTION REACHED IN 2009 1,89 BILLION EUROS1.
SOME OF THE POPULAR WORLDWIDE KNOWN SPRINGS AND
BRANDS ARE: EVIAN,PERRIER,VOLVIC.
THERE ARE 68 RECOGNIZED MINERAL WATERS IN FRANCE. 1
• EVIAN AND THONON WATER SPRING BOTTLES ARE FROM THE RHONE-ALPES
REGION.
1 (HTTP://AGRICULTURE.GOUV.FR/PRESENTATION-GENERALE-DU-SECTEUR,18833)

13. WATER FOR LIFE
IN SUMMARY, THE WATER RESOURCES IN
FRANCE AMOUNT TO 191 BILLION M3 PER
YEAR ( OR 3 262 M3/PERSON/YEAR). IT IS
ESTIMATED THAT THE NEEDS OF THE
COUNTRY ARE 32 BILLION M3/YEAR, SO ONLY
17% OF AVAILABLE RESSOURCES.
FURTHERMORE ONLY 8% OF THESE
RESSOURCES COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
SO FRANCE IS INDEPENDENT AND HAS A HIGH
WATER SUPPLY.
AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS PRESENTATION THE
WATER INDUSTRY IN FRANCE IS SIGNIFICANT
IN SIZE AND DIVERSE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
PRESERVE AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS
VITAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE WHICH IS
NOW IN MOST PLACES RARE OR POLLUTED.
(SOURCE: 2013 HTTP://WWW.CIEAU.COM/LES-RESSOURCES-EN-EAU/EN-FRANCE/
LE-PANORAMA-DES-RESSOURCES)