About the Graie

An interface between water professionals

A non-profit organisation, the Graie – group of research, technical coordination and water information – has been mobilising and bringing together stakeholders in the fields of water management, aquatic environments and urban planning for more than 30 years. Created in 1985, the Graie now has more than 300 members: public and private professionals, local authorities, firms and research laboratories.

4 international projects

Our vocation

Produce and propagate scientific and technical knowledge, highlight case studies and convey collective messages to public authorities. The Graie thus contributes to knowledge appropriation and the evolution of practices & water regulations.

3 main themes

URBAN WATER

This theme has been one of the Graie’s main activities since its creation. The Graie’s actions aim to promote alternative solutions for stormwater management, better understanding the impact of urban effluents on aquatic environments and assisting with knowledge transfer in the field of water and urban drainage.

WATER AND HEALTH

The characterisation and control of micropollutants in water is an important emerging issue from both a scientific and public policy point of view. Since 2010, the Graie has coordinated the SIPIBEL observatory – Bellecombe’s pilot site – on the characterisation of hospital and urban effluents, their impact on aquatic environments and levers of action.

AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS

The integrated management of water and aquatic environments is the second founding theme of the Graie; it requires inter- and multidisciplinary approaches involving various stakeholders. Since 1985, the Graie has been mobilising a network of experts for the production of an integrated management methodology. It also coordinated a reflection on work to be carried out after flooding, which resulted in an awareness brochure.

Our modes of action

The Graie aims at sharing a culture based on knowledge and exchange of experiences, in order to improve practices in the field of water management. To do so, the Graie:

• Hosts 5 research groups: ZABR – Rhone Basin Long Term Environment Research, OTHU – Field Observatory for Urban Hydrology around Lyon, SIPIBEL – Bellecombe’s pilot site on hospital effluents and sewage treatment plants in Haute-Savoie, OSR – Rhone Sediment Observatory and OHM VR – Rhone Valley Human-Environment Observatory
• Coordinates regional exchange networks
• Organises meetings, conferences and symposiums, from a local to international scale – Our 2 international conferences bring together more than 500 people every 3 years (Novatech & I.S.Rivers)
• Mobilises research teams on subjects requiring multidisciplinary skills
• Produces technical, scientific and awareness documents freely available on its website
• Represents a community of local authorities, scientists and technical partners that draws up and presents proposals to the State, to diverse authorities and partners on a national scale, in order to build or improve the regulatory framework for water management on the territories

Organisation

The permanent team of Graie is composed of 11 members of staff including 6 project managers, with both technical and scientific skills.
The Graie relies on a board of directors made up of representatives of local authorities, research organisations and companies. It is supported by many partners: Water agencies, local authorities, Ministries, …