228 - TREES AMID THE WATERS NEAR TAPONAS, RHÔNE REGION, FRANCE (46°07' N, 4°45' W).
In Taponas, in the Rhône region between the hills of Beaujolais and the hundreds of ponds scattered among the swampy Dombes area, the Saône River overflowed in March 2001. This is a recurring natural phenomenon in the low-lying zone downhill from the confluence of the Saône and the Doubs Rivers. A series of floods, which occurred in several areas in eastern and central France, resulted when torrential rains fell on ground that was already waterlogged and where underground water tables were saturated by recent rains. However, adverse climate conditions were not the only cause. Human action also played its part with too much construction in flood-prone areas, obstacles to water drainage (urban and transport infrastructure), poor river maintenance, and deforestation. With the threat of global warming and the rise in incidence of adverse weather conditions, we must plan accordingly.