EBSM – The role of water in Bourg-Saint-Maurice les Arcs

This research project is part of the long-standing partnership between the Irege laboratory at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB) and Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM), and helps to strengthen their collaboration in response to the challenge of transition in mountain territories, which represents a strategic focus for both establishments. It aims to reconsider nature and non-human actors in transitions towards greater sustainability.

This project is therefore based on the rejection of the traditional separation between culture and nature denounced by many authors. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of water in transitions on the scale of mountain territories, contrasting with the majority of studies on this subject which focus on human actors. This should enable us to investigate not only how man shapes his environment, as is traditionally the case in Western science, but also how nature, and in this case water, shapes the territory through multiple interactions.

To meet this objective, this study will focus on the area of Bourg-Saint-Maurice les Arcs, a mountain town nestled in the heart of Savoie, where water is omnipresent. A strong presence in the field, inspired by multi-species ethnographies, will enable us to understand the co-evolution and interdependencies between water and other local stakeholders.