With the goal of preparing the master plan for water development and management, a study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the condition of the Martinique watershed. Adopted by the Water and Biodiversity Committee on December 5, 2025, and approved by prefectural decree on December 30, 2025, this study consists of five volumes. What are the key findings of this study? What does the assessment of water resources reveal? Experts highlight the risk of failing to meet environmental objectives (RNAOE) and propose several potential solutions for the period leading up to 2033.
A Resource and Its Limitations
To understand the state of water resources, it is important to distinguish between surface water and groundwater, as water is abstracted from these sources in different ways and they face different protection challenges.
Like all other natural resources, water resources are affected by climate change. «The water resource modeling study (MGR) conducted in 2022 showed that water availability in rivers would be reduced by 25% by 2050 as a result of climate change ,» the analysts report. Added to this is significant demographic pressure, driven in part by the tourism sector. «In terms of water withdrawal, the trend in demand for drinking water is likely to rise.»
What does the future hold for 2033?
The outlook for 2033 is mixed, as shown in the «River Water Body (MECE)« study. «For the Roxelane and Case Navire Aval MECEs, although the ecological status (including the PSEE) is good, the overall intensity of pressures on these water bodies is deemed »moderate,» raising concerns that by 2033, their ecological status will have deteriorated (to at least “moderate”),” note the water experts.
The quality of water resources depends not only on the natural state of the resource but also on its treatment. Experts have issued an opinion on on-site wastewater treatment systems (ANC). «The very low compliance rate of ANC systems across Martinique should be viewed in context when assessing changes in environmental pressures, given that some non-compliance stems from health or technical reasons, without this actually resulting in environmental pressure,» the specialists explain. They conclude: «Thus, a stable trend is projected for all surface and groundwater through 2033.».
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