On 5 and 6 September 2025, the THERMIEFRANCE project held its scientific kick-off meetings, bringing together 43 participants, including representatives from the Ministry, the OFB, the Water Agencies (Rhône Méditerranée Corse, Garonne, Seine-Normandie), fishing federations and water management bodies. These initial sessions laid the scientific foundations of the project and initiated exchanges between the scientific community and water stakeholders.
In the context of climate change and anthropogenic pressures, the warming of rivers is already an observable reality. Its effects are impacting the functioning of eco-hydrosystems, aquatic biodiversity, water uses and certain economic activities. The objective of the THERMIEFRANCE project is therefore to characterise its magnitude, variability, spatial distribution, and ecological and socio-environmental impacts.
The project is based on an interdisciplinary approach, involving researchers, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, in close collaboration with water stakeholders. It is structured around three main tasks:
- Task 1 aims to predict hydrological and thermal changes at different scales (regional and national) and assess their impacts on biodiversity, based on observations and hydro(geo)logical and meteorological modelling validated with real data;
- Task 2 focuses on the identification and analysis of thermal refugia, particularly in relation to groundwater, and on understanding their role in sustaining aquatic habitats, including both summer cold refuges and winter warm refuges;
- Task 3 addresses the evaluation of adaptation scenarios, co-developed with stakeholders, to reduce thermal variability and strengthen the resilience of river systems, integrating ecological, hydrogeological and social dimensions.
By mobilising time series data across the French river network, hydrological and thermal models, as well as participatory approaches, THERMIEFRANCE aims to better quantify the impacts of warming, including risks to biodiversity, and to develop operational tools to support water management and adaptation strategies.
An official kick-off meeting with the ANR was held on 21 January 2026, complementing these initial sessions and marking the institutional launch of the project.