Adopting System Thinking to Explore Possible Maladaptation: A Case Study of “Méga-Bassines” in France

Water scarcity, exacerbated by global population growth and climate variability, poses significant challenges to sustainable development. In this context, numerous initiatives are emerging to secure access to water, particularly for agricultural activities. Here we look at the case of big farm ponds also called as “mega-basins” recently installed in the Pointou-Charentes region in France. Mega-basins are designed to provide access to water for a few groups of farmers. Filled by pumping abundant groundwater during winter, these reservoirs are designed to supply crops (mainly maize) that need water in summer, while reducing the amount of groundwater withdrawal in summer. Although based on good intentions, these developments are the subject of much controversy and strongly polarize public opinion. Some of the critics point to the risk of maladaptation, without explicitly defining what this means. This study aims to identify what could be potential maladaptive outcomes associated with mega-basins. To do so, this paper first reviews the literature on maladaptation to gain a clearer understanding of the concept from the point of view of academic research. It then explores the emerging field of socio-hydrology, which addresses the complex interactions between human activities and water dynamics in human-modified water systems. Socio-hydrology uses methods such as system thinking and causal loop diagrams to understand these interactions and assess the risk of unintended consequences of water management strategies. The results of the study show that there are several potential maladaptation risks associated with mega-basins, as these structures involve several socio-hydrological archetypes already known in other complex systems (fixes that fail, band-aid solutions, success to successful, limits to growth) that induce maladaptive outcomes.