Pour une Hydrologie Régénérative

What Pour une Hydrologie Régénérative does

Pour Une Hydrologie Régénérative (PUHR) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2022 and headquartered in Crest, Drôme, that operates as a national network to regenerate freshwater cycles at the watershed scale. The organization convenes citizens, local authorities (collectivités territoriales under the GEMAPI competence), farmers, researchers, and field practitioners around a holistic framework articulated as the R.I.S.E.V. principles (Ralentir, Infiltrer, Stocker, Évapotranspirer, Diversifier) and the water-soil-tree triptych. It structures its territorial action across six hydrorégions corresponding to France's major river basins (Adour-Garonne, Artois-Picardie, Loire-Bretagne, Rhin-Meuse, Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse, Seine-Normandie), and coordinates pilot projects on agricultural parcels and degraded sites with water agencies, educational institutions, and local associations.

PUHR's product surface is intellectual and community-based rather than software-based. Core outputs include the Eaux Vives reference book published by Actes Sud (Domaine des Possibles collection), a 12-principle Manifesto and accompanying Kit Plaidoyer advocacy toolkit, a recurring webinar series (with YouTube distribution), a Discord community, a newsletter, and in-person events such as the Eaux Vives evening at the Académie du Climat. The association is beginning to pilot SCALGO, a third-party digital modeling platform, for real-time hydrological scenario simulation at the sub-watershed scale.

The business model is that of a member-supported non-profit. Revenue is derived from tax-deductible individual donations processed via Helloasso, membership adhesion fees, and project-based institutional grants from water agencies (Agence de l'eau Artois-Picardie, Agence de l'eau Adour-Garonne) and foundations (Fondation Géotec, Lively-Earth fund). No commercial pricing or paid products are disclosed. Governance rests with a board of directors led by co-president Simon Ricard, with board members Jérôme Sergent and Pascale Vergne (newly elected in 2026). Two regional association spin-offs (PUHR Artois-Picardie and PUHR Adour-Garonne) are scheduled for formal creation in 2026.

Name

Pour une Hydrologie Régénérative

Legal name

Pour Une Hydrologie Régénérative

Website

https://hydrologie-regenerative.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PUHR is a French non-profit national network that regenerates freshwater cycles at the watershed scale, convening citizens, local authorities, farmers, researchers, and field practitioners around the R.I.S.E.V. principles across six French river basins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy & Water Resource Management

NAICS

Remediation Services (562910)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Regenerative hydrology
• Watershed management
• Freshwater cycle restoration
• Nature-based solutions
• Water resource advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Crest

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Donations and Contributions: The association relies on voluntary donations from supporters, which are tax-deductible under French law (don défiscalisable). Donations are collected via the Helloasso platform and constitute a primary funding mechanism for operational activities.
2. Membership Dues: Individuals can become members of the association by paying an adhesion fee, formalizing their support for the regenerative hydrology vision.
3. Project-Based Funding from Water Agencies: PUHR coordinates and co-manages pilot projects funded by water agencies (Agence de l'eau Artois-Picardie, Agence de l'eau Adour-Garonne), foundations (Fondation Géotec, Lively-Earth fund), and public institutional funders. These grants support field activities, scientific monitoring, and territorial animation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pour Une Hydrologie Régénérative (PUHR) is a French national non-profit association that operates as a knowledge, advocacy, and territorial coordination network for regenerative hydrology. Its core offerings include the published reference book "Eaux Vives," the 12-principle Manifesto and Kit Plaidoyer advocacy toolkit, a recurring webinar educational program, and a six-region hydrorégional network structure that convenes citizens, local authorities, farmers, researchers, and field practitioners to design and implement basin-scale water cycle regeneration projects grounded in the R.I.S.E.V. principles.

Product overview

Pour Une Hydrologie Régénérative (PUHR) is a national non-profit association ( loi 1901) that serves as a networking and advocacy organization rather than a software product company. The organization offers educational publications (the book "Eaux Vives" and the 12-principle Manifesto), an advocacy toolkit, webinar educational content, and a territorial network structure across French watersheds. The association connects citizens, local authorities, field practitioners, and researchers to implement regenerative hydrology projects based on living systems, natural processes, and territorial cooperation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eaux Vives - Pour une hydrologie régénérative (Book) Commercially published reference book on regenerative hydrology that synthesizes knowledge, ancestral practices, and contemporary field experience. Distributed through standard book trade channels (Actes Sud), serves as the intellectual anchor and outreach resource for citizens, communities, farmers, elected officials, and territorial stakeholders.
• Kit Plaidoyer (Advocacy Kit) Packaged advocacy toolkit combining the 12-principle Manifesto with methodological fact sheets to support local actors, elected officials, and territorial stakeholders in launching regenerative hydrology projects and conducting policy dialogue.

Quantifiable outcome

• At the De Rives en Rêves site in Rumilly (1.2 ha), no runoff departed toward downstream areas during the winter 2023-2024 floods that affected over 540,000 people in Hauts-de-France.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Agence de l'eau Adour-GaronnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Adour-Garonne water agency partners with PUHR on a pilot project on the Save river basin, supporting research-action in regenerative hydrology on agricultural parcels. PUHR provides scientific monitoring support and territorial animation.
• PermaVineasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PermaVinea, a permaculture and viticultural association, is partnered with PUHR to design hydrological regenerative designs for the Save river basin pilot in Adour-Garonne.
• De Rives en RêvescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024De Rives en Rêves is a co-founding partner of PUHR Artois-Picardie, operating the Rumilly eco-place (1.2 ha) as a demonstration site for regenerative hydrology. Jérôme Sergent, co-founder of De Rives en Rêves, serves on the PUHR national board. The association coordinates three pilot sites together, coordinates project funding, and provides scientific monitoring support.
• Agence de l'eau Artois-PicardiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The water agency for the Artois-Picardie basin provides financial support for pilot projects including the Campus Agro-environnemental site in Radinghem (over 100 students involved) and the Avesnois low-tech river restoration project. It is a key institutional funding partner.
• SmageAasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The SmageAa (Syndicat mixte pour l'Aménagement et la Gestion des Eaux du Delta de l'Aa) collaborates with the PUHR Artois-Picardie collective within the PAALER program (Programme d'Actions Agronomiques de Lutte contre l'Érosion et le Ruissellement), developing a pedagogical trail at the Rumilly site.
• Campus Agro-environnemental du Pas-de-Calais (Radinghem)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agricultural campus in Radinghem is a partner in a multi-year regenerative hydrology experiment on land affected by erosion, involving over 100 students from multiple educational institutions. Funding comes from Agence de l'eau Artois-Picardie and Lively-Earth fund.
• ADOPTAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerADOPTA (Association pour le Développement des Оbjectifs de gestion des Пluies) is a partner in PUHR's webinar program. President Jean-Jacques Hérin and animateur national Geoffrey Houpe co-presented a webinar on urban sponge cities and integrated stormwater management, bridging over 30 years of field experience.
• Académie du Climat (Paris)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Académie du Climat in Paris hosted the Eaux Vives — Prendre soin d'un commun evening event (March 2025, 200+ attendees), co-organized by PUHR and Marge Sauvage.
• Marge SauvagesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarge Sauvage co-organized the Eaux Vives evening at the Académie du Climat in Paris, contributing to the public-facing event program.
• La Maison ForteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Maison Forte is engaged in collaborative work with PUHR for structuring the Adour-Garonne hydrorégion, alongside Université Populaire de l'Eau Vive (UPEv), to build a collegiate governance structure and prepare regional gatherings in 2027.
• Université Populaire de l'Eau Vive (UPEv)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPEv collaborates with PUHR on structuring the Adour-Garonne hydrorégion, contributing to governance design and regional meeting preparation.
• Réseau régional « Ici Ça Drache »minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PUHR Artois-Picardie collective has joined the regional network 'Ici Ça Drache,' which brings together water agencies, local authorities, and committed actors around integrated stormwater management and the Commission Locale de l'Eau du Delta de l'Aa.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Association des Agences de l'eau (network): Network of French basin-level water agencies that fund and coordinate water management. Comparable as institutional actors in basin-scale water management that PUHR partners with and whose funding model PUHR's pilot work depends on; relevant as funders/regulators rather than competitors.

Emerging players

• Commonland: International NGO promoting landscape regeneration through a 4-returns framework combining natural, social, financial, and inspirational capital. Comparable in advocating for integrated, long-term landscape regeneration with measurable outcomes, including water cycle restoration.
• Wetlands International: Global NGO dedicated to wetland conservation and wise use, with active work on integrated water resources management and watershed restoration. Comparable in advocating for nature-based freshwater solutions at landscape scale.
• The Rivers Trust (UK): UK federation of river trusts working on catchment-scale river restoration with volunteer and community engagement. Comparable organizational model to PUHR: a national network of localized catchment-scale groups advancing regenerative freshwater management with farmer and community partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux): Large French environmental NGO with local chapters, volunteer networks, and habitat/wetland restoration work. Comparable as a French NGO combining advocacy, community mobilization, and field projects on water-adjacent ecosystems.
• France Nature Environnement: France's largest federation of environmental NGOs, with member associations working on water resources, biodiversity, and territorial environmental issues. Directly comparable as a French NGO umbrella operating in the same water/environment policy space, but broader in scope than PUHR's regenerative hydrology focus.
• Surfrider Foundation Europe: European NGO with strong French presence dedicated to water protection (oceans, lakes, rivers) and watershed health. Comparable as a water-focused advocacy and community-activism organization engaging citizens, policymakers, and field actors on water quality and ecosystem regeneration.
• The Nature Conservancy (France / EU programs): Global environmental organization with active watershed and river restoration programs in Europe. Comparable in deploying science-based nature-based solutions at basin scale with farmer, corporate, and government partnerships.

Direct peers

• Noé Conservation: French conservation NGO running landscape and watershed restoration programs with farmer and local-authority engagement. Highly comparable to PUHR in combining nature-based solutions, agricultural partnerships, and territorial project implementation in France.
• Fondation pour la Nature et l'Homme (FNH): French environmental foundation working on ecological transition including water and agricultural transitions. Comparable as a French advocacy/foundation entity promoting systemic environmental change through partnerships with territorial actors and policy engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hydrologieregenerative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydrologieregenerative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pour une Hydrologie Régénérative