Foresight exercises for local water management: an experience in the Thau basin

Abstract

In France, envisioning the future in the domain of water has long been the exclusive duty of state strategists and water managers. Yet since 2006, the French law for local and participatory water planning stipulates that "trends and scenarios" should be collectively built and made explicit before choosing a strategy. This article draws lessons learned from a vision building exercise implemented in 2010 in the Thau basin (Hérault, France). The authors accompanied the process and led some workshops. The article discusses what made the experience possible and successful. It argues that a specific framing fostered individual and collective exploration. It consisted in welcoming narratives and preserving participants' individual and collective objectives. The process revealed the whole political dimension of water. Participants were able to question some choices and modes of steering.