Wednesday October 2, Renaud MUSELIER, president of the Region, went to the Société du Canal de Provence, alongside Bénédicte MARTIN, vice-president of the Region, in charge of agriculture, viticulture, rurality and terroir, president of the Société du Canal de Provence and development of the Provençal region, François de CANSON, vice-president of the Region in charge of attractiveness, Jean-Louis MASSON, president of the Department of Var and of the presidents of the Public Intercommunal Cooperation Establishments (EPCI) of Var.
Together, they anticipated as best as possible the needs of territories in tension identified as part of the deployment of the Blue Gold Plan of the Southern Region with the Var Department and the Var Water Plan 2050. With this in mind, 620 million euros are being invested until 2038 to secure access to water for all uses in the region.
Speech by Renaud MUSELIER,
President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region,
Deputy President of Regions of France
Deployment of the Blue Gold Plan for the Southern Region with the Var Department
Wednesday October 2, 2024
PRESERVING WATER RESOURCES THROUGH THE BLUE GOLD PLAN
This Tholonet site represents and implements a large part of the Region’s actions to secure the territory’s water supply.
This company has largely participated in making our Southern Region a model of water management:
From the Roman aqueducts of antiquity to the Serre-Ponçon dam, via the water of the hills of Marcel Pagnol, the men of the South have always sought to bring water where it was not.
not. Climate change is a new challenge to face: we know and we will continue to do so!
With the Société du Canal de Provence, 2 years ago we launched the Plan Or Bleu. It was followed a few months later by the President of the Republic’s Water Plan announced in Savines-le-lac in March 2023.
The Blue Gold Plan consists of three watchwords: SOBRIETY, SOLIDARITY and INNOVATION which completely apply to the values of the SCP.
• SOBRIETY: We have achieved energy sobriety, we are going to achieve hydraulic sobriety.
We managed to reduce our energy consumption by 9% in winter 2023. We are starting to apply these good habits with water.
Sobriety is not a punishment, it is a way of life and adaptation.
• SOLIDARITY: We will avoid war by uniting, by bringing together, by adding up.
By making areas where water flows and those where it does not flow work together.
By getting farmers and tourism professionals to work together.
By making upstream and downstream work together, to organize solidarity.
By investing massively in infrastructure, to limit leaks (1 billion m3 lost each year in France) – a major challenge.
Last year, throughout the territory, we organized departmental water conferences which were followed on June 8, 2023 by the regional water states. 400 people gathered to talk about this major issue.
• INNOVATION: We will adapt by innovating, as always.
We have launched the largest experiment in France for the reuse of wastewater.
We get the academic world (AMU), water specialists (Société du Canal de Provence, SUEZ, VEOLIA) and the Region to work together.
With essential uses: agricultural irrigation as a priority, industrial use in our factories, cleaning of streets and ports, replenishment of water tables!
CONCRETE ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THIS BLUE GOLD PLAN
Concretely, the Blue Gold Plan on our territory is €800 million including €630 million in a multi-annual program with the SCP until 2038. Madam President, I know that you are working on revising this program, trying to meet the many needs of our territory.
In addition to its support for the SCP, the Region supports numerous territorial projects for resilient management of water resources.
15 million € are allocated each year from the regional budget to the preservation of water resources:
• For farmers: the mobilization of the Region in favor of agricultural water projects makes it possible to raise €13 million per year in public aid (Region + FEADER + Water Agency +
Department).
These actions make it possible to both secure access to water for our farmers and improve the state of the resource.
Example: Modernization of irrigation networks with the Association Syndicale des canals de la plaine d’Avignon to better regulate flows and reduce nighttime withdrawals: €1.5 million in public aid.
Example: Creation of two alternative hill reservoirs to preserve the fragile resource of the Asse and no longer take €900,000 from the watercourse.
These projects are bearing fruit since a total of 29 million m3 of water have been saved in agriculture over the last 5 years.
• For communities and individuals: the Region has released an envelope of €1.2 million
to accelerate wastewater reuse projects as well as to equip individuals with rainwater collectors.
Over the last 5 years, 38 million m3 of water have been saved for communities thanks to work on the supply networks.
• At the same time, as part of its mission to coordinate water policy, the Region wishes to take forward-looking approaches to anticipate the impacts of climate change.
The objective is to ensure the adequacy of the water resource and its future uses with real reflection on solidarity between the basins. And the practical case today with the Var Water 2050 plan that you are supporting, Mr. President. There is a real challenge in articulating the initiatives carried out by pro-active departments like yours.
THE SCP: A STRUCTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURES THAT PROVIDE SECURITY OF THE TERRITORY, PARTICULARLY THE VAR
Called the “river of men”, the Société du Canal de Provence is today an opportunity for the territory to develop, but also an opportunity for real rivers because any withdrawal from the Canal de Provence (with reserves stored in the Verdon reservoirs) avoids sampling from local watercourses or groundwater.
We do not oppose development and environment.
4% of the annual resource taken to satisfy 40% of the region’s needs!
• 2 million inhabitants secured drinking water,
• 75,000 equipped agricultural ha / 160,000 farms,
• And also: industrial services and fire protection (2,000 posts and poles).
The Region plays three roles: granting authority, financier and shareholder.
The Var requires special attention since your department represents 34% of the volumes distributed.
In terms of budget: operations concerning the Var represent €334 million out of the €620 million of the Development Plan, or almost 50%! Hence the importance for us of this
department.
• €240 million in network reinforcements and multi-use extensions,
• €140 million in new infrastructure.
Two major issues have been identified: the security of viticulture and that of municipalities with drinking water (example of the Pays de Fayence).
Through the Var Water 2050 plan that you are piloting, 17 municipalities in tension have already been identified.
Today, thanks to the Canal, 65 communities are secure.
Tomorrow, 60 more could be serviceable in the medium term!
But, for this, we need the help and contribution of all territories: Departments and EPCI.
Security needs are becoming more and more numerous and more and more urgent. We are fully aware of this and are working to meet all expectations.
But, we must secure these projects financially. It is essential to move forward.
I am counting on all the presidents here present or representatives to ensure that our projects, these projects, come to fruition.
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