Inondations en Gascogne (juillet 1977) et aménagements de l'espace

On possible relations between the july 1977 floods in Gascony (south western France) and the recent reshaping of agricultural landscapes, technics and economy. On July 8, 1977, huge and sudden floods prompted by heavy rainfalls brought about large damages and losses in some valleys of Western Gascony. It seems that the conjunction of natural factors which were responsible for these floods could befall once every century. Nevertheless the authors suggest that these floods depended also upon the various agricultural changes experimented for about fifteen years in the area : new methods of ploughing and field cultivation, destruction of hedges and tree clusters, timber exploitation, land consolidation, etc. They are of the opinion that the State agents or agencies and the State inspired or subsidized agencies in the region have plaid a minor part only in these transformations and that most of these were operated directly by the agriculturists. They stress the fact that many amongst the latter ones are devoted followers of the modernization and technical progress ideology which is promoted in the country by various official or private socio-economic agents and institutions : and they suggest that every agriculturist, even if unaware of the long range consequences of his activity, is deteriorating the material basis of his economics. Anyhow various types of works and a better local information system could help and prevent or avoid future damages and losses in case of new such floods.On possible relations between the july 1977 floods in Gascony (south western France) and the recent reshaping of agricultural landscapes, technics and economy. On July 8, 1977, huge and sudden floods prompted by heavy rainfalls brought about large damages and losses in some valleys of Western Gascony. It seems that the conjunction of natural factors which were responsible for these floods could befall once every century. Nevertheless the authors suggest that these floods depended also upon the various agricultural changes experimented for about fifteen years in the area : new methods of ploughing and field cultivation, destruction of hedges and tree clusters, timber exploitation, land consolidation, etc. They are of the opinion that the State agents or agencies and the State inspired or subsidized agencies in the region have plaid a minor part only in these transformations and that most of these were operated directly by the agriculturists. They stress the fact that many amongst the latter ones are devoted followers of the modernization and technical progress ideology which is promoted in the country by various official or private socio-economic agents and institutions : and they suggest that every agriculturist, even if unaware of the long range consequences of his activity, is deteriorating the material basis of his economics. Anyhow various types of works and a better local information system could help and prevent or avoid future damages and losses in case of new such floods.Pilleboue Jean, Verdier Jean. Inondations en Gascogne (juillet 1977) et aménagements de l'espace. In: Revue géographique des Pyrénées et du Sud-Ouest, tome 49, fascicule 3, 1978. Nuisances. pp. 375-400