ORION: Sustainable management of water resources in the Meuse watershed

Building on the experience of the DIADeM project (2017-2020), which focused on the impact of a cocktail of drugs on the quality of aquatic ecosystems, ORION takes a global approach to understanding the impact of the various anthropogenic pressures on Mosan aquatic ecosystems (agricultural, domestic and industrial activities). The project focuses on the chemical, microbiological and ecotoxic risks of water, taking into account impacts on ecosystems and human consumption.

• Collect data for a spatio-temporal study and model the pressures and impacts suffered by water bodies.
• Perform a microbiological and chemical diagnosis of water body quality.
• Evaluate the ecotoxicity of water bodies by studying sentinel species.
• Define forward-looking scenarios via climate scenario co-construction workshops.

The project brings together 6 operators coordinated by Université Champagne-Ardenne, the project leader, and researchers from the Escape and Sebio Research Units.

The other 5 operators are

• the ULiège and representatives from the PEgire unit;
• the UNamur, with the team from the Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit (URBE) as well as the Confluent des Savoirs ;
• the Institut national de l'environnement industriel et des risques (Ineris, France);
• the Centre d'Expertise en Virologie des Aliments (ACTALIA, France);
• the Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP).

The project also involves several associated partners such as the Société Publique de Wallonie (SPW) Agriculture et environnement, the Contrats de Rivières, the Agences de l'eau (France), the Société publique de gestion de l'eau (SPGE) and the Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM).

The University of Namur (URBE) is responsible for an eco-toxicological hazard assessment module, in collaboration with INERIS (FR) and ISSeP (BE). This module will examine the presence of industrial products and their impact on environmental health, using fish as sentinel organisms in polluted rivers. URBE will focus particularly on Atlantic salmon as a sentinel species undergoing rehabilitation in the Walloon Region.

Researchers will also assess the presence of endocrine disruptors and their effects on the immune and reproductive systems of fish.
An additional module shared between all partners, will examine prospective scenarios according to climate change and their impact on water quality and the species that inhabit it. This includes assessing the effects of additional pollutants in a context of thermal stress, particularly for salmon, through several scenarios based on IPCC predictions.

The Confluent des Savoirs is responsible for coordinating the communication and information dissemination module as part of the ORION project.

With its ambitions and objectives, the ORION project represents a significant step towards better management of aquatic resources and preservation of our environment. By mobilizing the expertise and resources of numerous partners, this project promises to generate valuable results for research and the implementation of effective environmental policies. By combining rigorous scientific research and collaboration between institutions, ORION is establishing itself as a flagship project for the protection of our water resources and the health of our natural environments.