Designing ambitious projects for river restoration - Feedback from projects in Europe integrating the human and social sciences

The Water framework directive has made the physical restoration of aquatic environments an essential component in public water-management policies. Yet the initial feedback would indicate that technical excellence alone is not sufficient to guarantee effective implementation of river-restoration projects. To assist in solving this problem, the document proposes a comprehensive framework with a description of the tools that may be used in an overall strategy designed to accompany stakeholders wishing to launch a hydromorphological-restoration project and ensure its success. It looks specifically at the conditions determining the legitimacy, both technical and political, of project promoters.

The document discusses the means to ensure the social and territorial relevance of a project, as well as the means to demonstrate its technical and economic compatibility with the local social-economic context.