Wild Rivers in France
Rivières Sauvages
Launched in 2008 with the support of WWF France and other NGOs, the “Wild Rivers” programme has a clear objective: going far beyond the “Very Good Ecological Status” specified under the EU Water Framework Directive to restore and conserve rivers. We communicate and adviceadvise river initiatives and use a certification scheme, the label “Site Rivières Sauvages”, to bring together and reward local river stakeholders who develop and implement a restoration and conservation plan for their river.
The “Wild Rivers” programme addresses a major current societal issue: maintaining, preserving, and safeguarding access to water, which is crucial. At the local level , the Wild Rivers” programme is a tool for integrated water resource management at the watershed level. It brings all stakeholders together, unites them through a standards-based certification scheme places the preservation of the river‘s wild character at the centre to continue to have access to enough high-quality water.
On a national scale, the Wild River Sites Network offers its members a privileged place for sharing experiences, allows the acquisition of practical and experimental knowledge that is very useful for the protection and restoration of rivers and wetlands. Labelled rivers are “showcases,” that tend to help shift and improve local water and river management policies. They are also “laboratories” for improving knowledge about aquatic environments and finding solutions for adapting to climate change.
Launched in 2008 with the support of WWF France and other NGOs, the “Wild Rivers” programme has a clear objective: going far beyond the “Very Good Ecological Status” specified under the EU Water Framework Directive to restore and conserve rivers. We communicate and adviceadvise river initiatives and use a certification scheme, the label “Site Rivières Sauvages”, to bring together and reward local river stakeholders who develop and implement a restoration and conservation plan for their river.
The “Wild Rivers” programme addresses a major current societal issue: maintaining, preserving, and safeguarding access to water, which is crucial. At the local level , the Wild Rivers” programme is a tool for integrated water resource management at the watershed level. It brings all stakeholders together, unites them through a standards-based certification scheme places the preservation of the river‘s wild character at the centre to continue to have access to enough high-quality water.
On a national scale, the Wild River Sites Network offers its members a privileged place for sharing experiences, allows the acquisition of practical and experimental knowledge that is very useful for the protection and restoration of rivers and wetlands. Labelled rivers are “showcases,” that tend to help shift and improve local water and river management policies. They are also “laboratories” for improving knowledge about aquatic environments and finding solutions for adapting to climate change.