The Région deploys its Plan with the Département du Var

In this context, Région Sud adopted its Plan Or Bleu in 2023 to preserve the resource and anticipate needs. With this perspective, €620 million are being invested until 2038 to secure access to water for all uses in the region.

REDUCING WITHDRAWALS

Recently, Muselier and Jean-Louis Masson were at the Société du Canal de Provence, alongside the presidents of the Établissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale (EPCI) of Var, in order to best anticipate the needs of the territories under stress identified within the framework of the Plan Var Eau 2050. The Région has made the Or Bleu a priority with its Plan Climat "une COP d’Avance" and its 100% green budget. Since 2018, it has carried out an animation and consultation mission in the field of management and protection of water resources and aquatic environments, alongside the État and the Agence de l’eau. In 2022, the drought episode led to water use restrictions for residents. In order to improve their clarity and understanding, the Région is therefore implementing concrete measures to raise awareness of good practices and support water savings while helping to reduce withdrawals from natural environments. As an actor in the ecological transition, the SCP Bénédicte Martin has been committing, for over 60 years, its responsibility, its innovation, and its performance to the service of the territories to meet the challenges of climate change in the fields of water and renewable energies.

PRESERVING THE RESOURCE

"Alongside the Région and the Département du Renaud Var, the SCP is committed, within the framework of the Plan Or Bleu, to preserving the resource and securing access to water for the territories identified through the Var Eau 2050 scheme by developing the developments of the canal de Provence, thus guaranteeing their resilience to climate change," announced Bénédicte Martin, president of the Société du Canal de Provence. Vice-president of the Région in charge of agriculture, viticulture, rurality, and terroir, she continued: "Whether at the scale of the regional concession of the canal de Provence, in its engineering and service offerings, or in the production of renewable energies, the SCP meets the needs of its most diverse clients in the region, in France, and internationally, with the same high standards. It innovates to preserve, manage, and enhance water resources and support the optimization of its uses." "Région Sud has always known how to adapt to preserve water resources. We drew inspiration from best practices, we succeeded in mobilizing individuals to act at their level, without ever constraining or giving in to panic. Today, alongside the Département du Var and the SCP, we are continuing our efforts so that drought is not inevitable, and to make the région Sud hydrauliques multi-usages a model in terms of water management," added Renaud Muselier.

CLIMATE CHANGE

"The Département du Var is aware of the fundamental challenges that water management represents, both for populations and for agricultural activities or the preservation of the resource itself. On this subject, we attach great importance to working closely with our partners from the Région and the SCP. It is a guarantee of efficiency," welcomed Jean Louis Masson, president of the Département. He added: "Water management and preservation are major subjects of concern for the Varois, territorial actors, and the Département du Var in particular. By launching the Var Eau 2050 forward-looking process, I wanted to make water a political subject whose challenges aim to measure and raise awareness of the effects of climate change. Together, we must question adaptation solutions and act collectively to limit the vulnerability of territories to water shortages. The Département du Var positioned itself as a unifier of the territorial meetings, organized at the beginning of summer at the scale of the SCOT around water issues. It succeeded in mobilizing all actors (elected officials, EPCI, technicians...). Proposals were made that will feed into the Var Eau 2050 prospective approach in the interest of equity and territorial solidarity. The Département commits to supporting the 66 possible scenarios developed and proposed by the territories." •