The French institute of agricultural and environmental engineering research

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The French instituteof agricultural and
environmental engineering research
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A public reseach institute

 From research to action  disciplinary and
thematic applied research Main fields
envrionment, agriculture, rural land
management, rural equipment,
etc.
Associated with
SEIGAD, University of Grenoble, France (Pr.
Dumolard) (quantitative geography, GIS)
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Plan for the period 1999-2002

• Progress in four leading areas of interest
• hydrosystem functioning
• water and waste disposal engineering and
  management
• management of predominantly rural areas
• agricultural and food engineering
• Several priority areas of scientific research
• terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and their
  relationship with agriculture
• natural risk management
• Rigorous scientific approach computer modelling,
  geographical information systems and
  computational analysis

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Qualifications of Cemagref research and
engineering staff
Engineering sciences
Earth sciences
Environmental and life sciences
Human and social sciences
Chemical sciences
Mathematics sciences
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Long-term vision

• Develop the scientific foundations of spatial
  development on a sustainable basis which will
  protect, conserve and manage aquatic and
  terrestrial environments, safeguard the human
  activity which harnesses and improves them, and
  predict and control the associated risks.

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Staff

• 1000 permanent staff 450 engineers and
  scientists 34 research unitsBudget 99 - 366
  mFrF (56 mEuros) incl. 86 mFrF (13 mEuros)
  contract income

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9 Regional centres
ANTONY
NOGENTSUR-VERNISSON
RENNES
LYON
CLERMONT-FERRAND
GRENOBLE
BORDEAUX
AIX-EN-PROVENCE
MONTPELLIER
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Staff and organisation
Developing tools and methods
freshwater systems
for integrated management
Two fields

freshwater systems management

agricultural and terrestrial ecosystems
for equipment design and operation
water and environmental engineering
land management
agricultural and food engineering
4 scientific departments
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Land management9 research units
Forest and agroforestry
Livestock system and rural areas
Mountain agriculture and environment Development
of mountain territories Mountain ecosystems and
landscapes
Forest ecosystems and landscapes Forest genetic
resources and planting stock
Agriculture and rural areas dynamics
Mediterranean agriculture and forest
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Methods

• Common scientific methods
• Management-aid models for complex systems
• GIS and digital geospatial data
• Scientific computing

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2 units under Scientific directorate
Laboratory of engineering for complex systems
Spatial structures and systems (joint
Cemagref-Engref unit)
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The Mediterranean Agriculture and Forest Research
Unit (Aix-en-Provence)

• 4 main thematic reseach fields using GIS

Forest fire risk modelling
Ecology of forest land ecosystems
GIS
Relationship between spatial transformations and
human activities (espacially agriculture) in
rural areas (yes or non- protected)
Spatial economy of rural land market
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In the  protected areas  field

• Usually focused on
• - areas with human economic activities
  (agriculture, pastoral activities, tourism, etc.)
• - areas with multiple users (hunters, walkers...)
  
• - areas with multiple decision makers for land
  management
• gt Regional Natural Parks, Natura2000, etc.
• more than National Parks (for example)

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so questions ...

• Which kind of protected areas are we interested
  in ?
• Can we imagine only one IS adapted to any kind of
  protected area ?
• Will the whole teams work on the whole protected
  areas ?

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which  level  (point of view) to choose ?

• Ecological point of view animal and vegetal
  spieces and ecological habitats inventories and
  mapping
•  Operational  point of view water, air and
  soils quality
• Integrated Land management point of view land
  cover, land use, action territories of different
  decision makers
• -gt not the same  skill-holders  to inquire

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The existing experiences

• The National Parks GIS (ATEN, Ecrin National
  Park, Mercantour, etc.)
• The Regional Parks (example, Luberon, Camargue)
• The example of The Geographical Information
  Regional Center (CRIGE)
• Basic GIS data bought by the PACA Region
  (together with the French State)
• Left at the disposal of public and half-public
  Institutions through the Web