Karst water resources management: The Lez Mediterranean basin demo case - the NAIAD project

The mountains located near the French Mediterranean coast are regularly subject to severe rainfalls, and consequently to torrential floods. On 3rd, Oct. 2015, a dramatic flood occurred in the region between Cannes and Nice (twenty peoples died, 550-650M€ of losses). Three rivers experience particularly dramatic floods in 2015: the Riou de l’Argentière (47 km², mountainous basin); the Frayères (22 km², rural headwaters, urban lowlands); the Brague (68 km², rural and forested basin, urban lowlands). The latter has been chosen as DEMO site for its bigger size, greater diversity and more numerous data.<ol><li>The idea is to explore whether karst water resources management is a potential NBS to reduce both flood and agricultural drought risks: while pumping in karst aquifers during dry periods, water is available for several usages (irrigation, drinking water supply, river minimum discharge); once the aquifer is depleted, it can store more water during floods</li><li>Co-benefitswill result from surface water related ecosystems in better state (no hydrological drought)</li><li>Natural Assurance Scheme: institution in charge of supplying drinking water</li></ol>