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Sandrine Rocard, Managing Director of the Seine-Normandy Water Agency and Pascal Grizot, President of the French Golf Federation have entered into a “water & climate” partnership for a period of 3 years. The two entities are committed to strengthening their collaboration to provide concrete solutions and respond to the challenges of water management, adaptation to climate change and biodiversity in connection with the activities of the 163 golf courses located in the Seine-Normandy basin. . The partners welcomed this alliance during a signature organized today at the Golf National, with a visit to the facilities for water management and sustainable maintenance of the course.

250 m000 of water saved in 3 years

The ffgolf undertakes to adhere to the climate change adaptation strategy of the Seine Normandy basin and to take an active part in the actions mentioned in the contract. Ambitions and environmental indicators related to the convergence of work have already been selected. Concretely, in addition to mobilizing the 163 golf courses and raising the awareness of the 300 employees spread across the Seine-Normandy basin, the partnership agreement aims to implement new concrete and relevant actions. This would result in a saving of water not taken from the natural environment estimated at 250 m000 in 3 years, a 3% reduction in the quantity of phytosanitary products used, ie a reduction of 30 tonnes. The car parks of the sites have a potential of 2,4 m5000 of surface area to be dewatered. Finally, the contract encourages the reuse of treated wastewater (Reuse) when technically possible.

“The ecological transition is one of the three priority pillars of our federation. The place of water is central and vital for the practice of the game of golf. To be up to the challenges, we make sure to rethink its use and make it an ally. We are now making the commitment to accelerate the actions undertaken in synergy with the Seine-Normandy Water Agency, and to promote them throughout France." says Pascal Grizot. "We have 3 years to accelerate the efforts already initiated by golf courses in the context of the extension of the LABBE law to economic players in 2025 and which provides for the ban on phytosanitary products" says Sandrine Rocard. “The Seine-Normandy water agency is financially committed by your side to meet this challenge” she confirms.

Important subsidies

Initial diagnoses and preliminary studies can be subsidized up to 50 to 70% depending on the size of the companies. Additional preventive maintenance equipment for courses (dethatching, aeration, sanding, combing, relining equipment) making it possible to avoid the development of diseases and to have a predominance of resistant grasses and to dispense with use of phytosanitary products can be subsidized up to 40 to 60% depending on the size of the companies, as can overinvestment in high-performance, finely controlled and water-efficient irrigation equipment (semi-circle sprinklers, with independent and programmable operation) . Without forgetting the compliance of sanitation of domestic discharges, the management of rainwater on the plot, the preservation of wetlands.

To know more : https://www.ffgolf.org

To read our last article on the same subject :

Aréas Assurances and Aiac partners of the FFGolf