Water resources and the water cycle

Faced with the growing challenges of climate change and pressure on natural environments, understanding and sustainably managing the water cycle is more crucial than ever. CEREGE's “Water Resources and Cycle” cross-disciplinary action mobilises interdisciplinary expertise to explore the dynamics of water in all its forms: flows, storage, quality, interactions with human activities and ecosystems. Our work focuses on analysing both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the resource, in a variety of contexts ranging from continental environments to coastal and wetland areas (lagoons, deltas, mangroves), particularly in Mediterranean and intertropical regions. They are based on the cutting-edge analytical and experimental resources developed in CEREGE's technical centres, which enable the water cycle to be explored on different time and space scales. By integrating water uses and their impacts from a systemic perspective, this area contributes to a better understanding of the interactions between climate, hydrosystems and societies, in order to anticipate and limit future pressures.