the Intercommunalities of France plead for a Ministry of Water

Water above all “needs a strong national strategy” and “colossal investment”, argues Régis Banquet, vice-president in charge of water at the Intercommunalités de France, Friday on France Bleu.

“We need a strong national strategy, water needs colossal investments”, believes Régis Banquet, vice-president in charge of water at the Intercommunalités de France and president of Carcassonne Agglo, on the occasion of World Water Day. Guest on Friday March 22 on the show “Ma France” on France Bleu, he pleads for the creation of a Ministry of Water.

The water plan announced by President Emmanuel Macron is “important”but “we must go beyond”Régis Banquet slice. “Water affects your health, drinking water supply, land use planning, industry, energy, agriculture…”

“Today, we should have the political courage to create a Ministry of Water to work on this problem which is completely transversal and which affects all our daily behaviors.”

Régis Banquet, vice-president in charge of water at the Intercommunalités de France

on France Bleu

The Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu promised Thursday to create a position of “water director” for the Pyrénées-Orientales to coordinate all projects in the department for three years. “I am not against this type of action, but we do not need a bandage on a wooden leg,” supports Régis Banquet. Water has above all “need for a strong national strategy” And “colossal investments at the national level, billions of euros will have to be made” on this topic. And he warns: “What we don’t do today, we will pay much more tomorrow, and it is our children and our grandchildren who will pay for it.”

Position water as a “national cause”

He wants water policy to be done at the local level and based on “singularities” territories. “Territories traditionally have more water than others, territories in the north of France better off than in the south. Water policies must be developed in each living area. Not simply by elected officials , but in consultation with all users”, with farmers or even industrialists.

This Ministry of Water would thus make it possible, according to him, to have “a national strategy” then actions “which correspond to the needs of the territory”. “We have a responsibility today, we, local and national elected officials, to position water as a national cause and a cause which must lead us to imagine the territory of tomorrow based on the problem of water”concludes Régis Banquet.