Rhône River
Europe
The Rhône is one of Europe's biggest rivers, with a length of 810 km and a catchment of 98,400 km2. With an average discharge of around 1,700 m3/s at its mouth, the Rhône is the most powerful river in France. It rises in Switzerland, where its catchment covers 6,700 km2, before flowing into Lake Geneva, the largest lake in Europe, with a volume of 89 km3 and an area of 582 km2. The Rhône continues its course through France, with many tributaries, before joining the Mediterranean Sea.
Challenges
The Rhône River in Europe has experienced substantial glacier loss, leading to reduced summer water flows, increased temperatures, and challenges for agricultural irrigation and hydropower.
“You can think of snow as a water reservoir. With increasing temperatures, this reservoir is melting earlier. So we may have more water earlier in spring, but this water will be missing later in the summer.”
— Dr. Giulia Mazzotti
Looking at solutions
Interview
– Véronique Ançay and Didier Ançay,
Swiss Valais.
Wine-farmers who base their farming practices on biodynamic principles, which consider farmland as an ecosystem in which the diversity of species and the soil fertility are prioritized.
“We have to let the soil live, that is how we can save water. Then, irrigation technologies will evolve, and we benefit from the knowledge of countries like Spain, Southern Italy, or African countries. We never had to save water before, but now it will be one of the major challenges for future generations”
— Véronique Ançay and Didier Ançay
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