additional guidance, such as the volumes of surface water bodies or groundwater to
be allocated to each category of users. Regarding the Arzal dam, the abundance of
water in the reservoir and the priority given to drinking water are sufficient to make
it unnecessary to dedicate extreme effort to drought adaptation strategies. From a
different perspective, several stakeholders around the Arzal dam mentioned during
interviews that there is a need for groundwater monitoring to assess not only the
state of the resource but also the level of consumption. In fact, there is actually a
lack of groundwater surveys in the catchment area. There is neither an assessment
of groundwater tables nor knowledge about the number of private wells and the
associated withdrawals at critical periods. Thus, even if the issue of drought is
receiving increasing consideration, the lack of effective instruments could impede
the rapid development of a strategy of adaptation to droughts.
6.5 Overview and Visualization of the Results
of the Analysis
6.5.1 The Priority Devoted to Drinking Water Production
In the Vilaine River area impacted by the management of the Arzal dam and its
reservoir, one can say that the need to produce drinking water is paramount, and
other activities related to water are placed at a second priority level. All users of
water resources and local municipalities are aware that resource protection is crucial, but many of them do not want to bear the consequences of a restriction on
water use in their territory—the “not in my backyard” syndrome. The need to
produce drinking water is essential, but it also requires concessions. In the Arzal
area, the only adjustable variable considered is the water level in the reservoir and,
still, all stakeholders and managers agree on the priority to be given to the protection of water resources for producing drinking water. Trade-offs are only
accepted when water scarcity becomes obvious, as in sensitive areas in the eastern
sub-basins of the Vilaine River.
The observations described in the previous section lead to the general conclusion
that the governance context for drought adaptation policies and measures for the
case of the Arzal area of the Vilaine River can be considered as moderately positive.
This general conclusion is obviously relative to the observations collected during
the interviews that were carried out in 2013–2014 and may evolve with time. The
following matrix seeks to represent the supportive, neutral and restrictive elements
of the drought governance analysis provided (Fig. 6.7).
130
I. La Jeunesse et al.
be allocated to each category of users. Regarding the Arzal dam, the abundance of
water in the reservoir and the priority given to drinking water are sufficient to make
it unnecessary to dedicate extreme effort to drought adaptation strategies. From a
different perspective, several stakeholders around the Arzal dam mentioned during
interviews that there is a need for groundwater monitoring to assess not only the
state of the resource but also the level of consumption. In fact, there is actually a
lack of groundwater surveys in the catchment area. There is neither an assessment
of groundwater tables nor knowledge about the number of private wells and the
associated withdrawals at critical periods. Thus, even if the issue of drought is
receiving increasing consideration, the lack of effective instruments could impede
the rapid development of a strategy of adaptation to droughts.
6.5 Overview and Visualization of the Results
of the Analysis
6.5.1 The Priority Devoted to Drinking Water Production
In the Vilaine River area impacted by the management of the Arzal dam and its
reservoir, one can say that the need to produce drinking water is paramount, and
other activities related to water are placed at a second priority level. All users of
water resources and local municipalities are aware that resource protection is crucial, but many of them do not want to bear the consequences of a restriction on
water use in their territory—the “not in my backyard” syndrome. The need to
produce drinking water is essential, but it also requires concessions. In the Arzal
area, the only adjustable variable considered is the water level in the reservoir and,
still, all stakeholders and managers agree on the priority to be given to the protection of water resources for producing drinking water. Trade-offs are only
accepted when water scarcity becomes obvious, as in sensitive areas in the eastern
sub-basins of the Vilaine River.
The observations described in the previous section lead to the general conclusion
that the governance context for drought adaptation policies and measures for the
case of the Arzal area of the Vilaine River can be considered as moderately positive.
This general conclusion is obviously relative to the observations collected during
the interviews that were carried out in 2013–2014 and may evolve with time. The
following matrix seeks to represent the supportive, neutral and restrictive elements
of the drought governance analysis provided (Fig. 6.7).
130
I. La Jeunesse et al.