Sonia Siauve, Coordinator of the LIFE Water&Climate project, OiEau (testimonial from the dossier “The Explore2 project, hydrological projections to adapt water resource management” – 2024)
“I managed the ‘support’ part of the Explore2 project in its first two years, in particular setting up the two user committees. In this interface between the scientists and the 50 or so families of users of the hydroclimatic projections, I ensured that the concepts were clearly understood and that needs were expressed and taken into account by all. I also made it easier for users to understand and become involved in the scientific process. To do this, they regularly presented and illustrated complex concepts, according to the needs expressed by users, such as the reference stations used to calibrate the models, the restitution stations, the selection of variables and the concept of the modelling chain. Users are looking for contact and the sharing of scientific knowledge. The production of data access tools, such as the MOOC and the DRIAS-eau portal developed as part of the LIFE Water&Climate project, contributes to the proper use of extremely valuable data for water managers preparing their water management plans, for example. Communicating between the two worlds is not something that comes naturally, but it is essential if we are to better guarantee the relevance of the choices made and the appropriation of the results. This is one of the original features of the Explore2 project and I hope that I have been able to contribute to this dialogue.”
Testimonial from our thematic dossier
Thematic dossier
The Explore2 project: hydrological projections to adapt water resource management
The Explore2 project, carried out between 2021 and 2024, aimed to describe the climate and water resources for the whole of the 21st century in mainland France, while ensuring that they are properly used. It produced a set of unprecedented projections in terms of the wealth of models applied and their spatial and temporal resolution, with no equivalent in Europe, thanks to a community of forty or so scientists from different organisations who were mobilised and united around the challenges of climate change. Around a hundred representatives of potential users of Explore2 results have also contributed to the project. Together, and under the guidance of INRAE and IOWater, they have devised useful information that can be mobilised by water managers in their territories. To provide a better understanding of the uncertainties associated with the projections, the scientists have proposed four climate narratives that illustrate the diversity of possible futures. Following the example of the IPCC, they have also drawn up a summary of the main conclusions at the level of mainland France for a set of descriptive variables in the water cycle, while specifying the degree of confidence in these results and the limits of knowledge. All the results of this project, which will have a major impact on water policy in France, are available online.
