In the framework of the Urban Rain project, representatives of the partner municipalities took part in a study visit to Lyon from 8 to 11 September 2024. In contrast to previous study visits, the main focus was on the local regulatory environment, strategy development and institutional functioning of two institutions – the Agence de l’Eau Rhone Méditerranée Corse (Rhone-Mediterranée-Corsica Water Authority) and the Métropole de Lyon (Lyon Métropole). We also visited two good examples of water management on site visits to the Jardin Jacob Kaplan and Rue Garibaldi, during which the delegation was joined by the President of the professional organisation ADOPTA. ADOPTA provides professional support around water management issues to municipalities, investors, designers, contractors and provides a common platform in France for the development of sustainable, environmentally friendly and resilient water management practices.

In France, there are 6 water authorities, according to the river basin districts. The water authorities are public bodies with financial autonomy: their budget is made up of water charges collected in the river basin district and affecting all users. They are responsible for defining the main water management policies for the river basin and for directly recycling the water charges collected for water management subsidies and investments. The organisation operates in a democratic, parlement-style way, through representative mechanisms: the water charges and the main development guidelines are voted on for 6 years. Currently, the main orientations are to protect and restore natural waters, to support climate adaptation and to use urban nature-based solutions for water management.

Key lessons learned:

The organisation is made up of 59 municipalities and certain tasks that cover the whole territory, such as building regulations, water management, transport, are managed at this level.
We met with the Department of the Chief Architect (“Directorate of Planning and Territorial Strategy”) and the Department of Water Management, and first of all we learned about the regulatory methods for stormwater management. They basically use similar regulatory tools to municipalities in Hungary, but they are more stringent, comprehensive in their approach and more committed to adapting to climate change.

Good examples

In a densely built-up part of the city, the municipality bought land among condominiums built by private investors as a brownfield development and turned it into a park – condominiums were only allowed to be built on this condition. Under the school next to the park there is a 100 m3 cistern where small amounts of rainfall (15 mm) are stored and reused for future irrigation and to run the fountain in the park.

A the park area has huge drainage strips (green+silt), where the roofs of the surrounding apartment buildings drain the heavy rainwater (20-year average, 60 mm), which silt up in 3 days. In addition, surface pools have been created as floodable areas to which water is discharged from the gravel bar. A In the event of a rainfall event above the 20-year average, rainwater is discharged to the public sewer through the overflow.

In a densely built-up part of the city, the municipality bought land among condominiums built by private investors as a brownfield development and turned it into a park – condominiums were only allowed to be built on this condition. Under the school next to the park there is a 100 m3 cistern where small amounts of rainfall (15 mm) are stored and reused for future irrigation and to run the fountain in the park.

A the park area has huge drainage strips (green+silt), where the roofs of the surrounding apartment buildings drain the heavy rainwater (20-year average, 60 mm), which silt up in 3 days. In addition, surface pools have been created as floodable areas to which water is discharged from the gravel bar. A In the event of a rainfall event above the 20-year average, rainwater is discharged to the public sewer through the overflow.