ZRE: Water Distribution Areas in France with Municipal and Basin Boundaries

A 2020 dataset from the French Geological Survey (BRGM) defines Water Distribution Areas (ZREs), regulatory zones for water resource management. These areas, established by prefectural decree, identify regions where water resources are insufficient relative to demand. The data includes two layers: one for river basin or aquifer system boundaries and another for municipal boundaries within departmental ZREs.

Use Cases

• Mapping water-stressed areas based on the defined ZRE boundaries.
• Analyzing regulatory impacts on water withdrawals, as withdrawals over 8 m³/h require authorization within a ZRE.
• Assessing the spatial relationship between municipal jurisdictions and hydrological units like basins and aquifers.

Strengths

• Data is defined by specific legal articles (R211-71, R211-72) of the French Environmental Code, providing a clear regulatory basis.
• Includes two distinct geospatial layers for analysis at both hydrological and administrative scales.

Limitations

• Last updated 2020-11-26 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

BUREAU DE RECHERCHES GÉOLOGIQUES ET MINIÈRES (BRGM)

Collection Method

Defined by prefectural decree based on French environmental law.

Freshness

Last updated 2020-11-26 00:00:00

Geography

Metropolitan France