Reasechers from IHB visited Adour-Garonne Watershed Water Agency (Image by AEAG)

Prof. LI Dunhai and Dr. SHEN Hong from Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHB) visited France from July 12 to July 21, 2015 to foster Sino-French Cooperation Partnership under the framework between Wuhan Water Authority (WWA) and Adour-Garonne Watershed Water Agency (AEAG). The framework aimed at enhancing urban sustainable development and water quality management.   

Researchers from IHB visited AEAG and the Ecolab of Toulouse III University during their stay in France with the leading officials from WWA. They attended meetings and seminars with variety of organizations in lake management, including experts, people from local governments and scientists from IRSTEA. They exchanged experience in aquatic ecosystem restoration and flood forecast and management with the French experts.    

They also visited the Atlantic coastal lakes in Lands area and Lacanau city, and their last stop was the Bordeaux municipal government where they met with the local officials. As the delegate of the Chinese side, Prof. LI Dunhai introduced the research progress and accomplishments that IHB and Wuhan government have achieved in bioremediation technology of lake ecosystems and lake management.   

Their visit will further develop international exchanges and cooperation in the field of lake ecosystems research and technology between IHB and researchers in other countries.   

In France, the Adour-Garonne Watershed Water Agency is one of 6 water agencies created by the 1964 Water Act. These public agencies, under the administration of the Ministry of Ecology, have their own financial resources and provide the decentralized management of the water policy in their hydrographic basin. The Adour-Garonne basin (greater southwest) includes two natural water towers: the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, 120 000 km of waterways and 650 km of coastline. 

Reasechers from IHB visited Etang Blanc (White Lake) to investigate the aquatic ecosystem restoration.