L'irrigation diminue-t-elle en France ? Premiers enseignements du recensement agricole de 2010

Résumé Fr En

Resume Le recensement agricole constitue un outil essentiel à la connaissance du monde agricole et au pilotage de l’action publique. À partir d'une analyse des données et des résultats concernant l'irrigation, les auteurs nous présentent la situation actuelle en France et les principales évolutions depuis dix ans.

The analysis of the 2010 agricultural census data provides an overview of the current situation of irrigation in France and the main evolutions since 2000. Despite an apparent stability of the irrigated area, due to a 2010 dry spring requiring unusual irrigation levels, we highlight, for the first time in 40 years, a reduction in the irrigable area (i.e. the area that can be irrigated). This reduction mainly concerns the South of France and the area irrigated by collective irrigation systems. The orientations of the Common Agricultural Policy, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and an economic context more favorable to rainfed crops compared to irrigated ones are the main explanations of this irrigation decrease. We highlight that these evolutions generate a risk of complication in water management both at the river basin level and at the collective irrigation system level.