Aménager les rivières et réduire les risques pour développer le tourisme nautique en France (1904-1924)

Abstract

Since 1904, the Canoe Club is developing water tourism. Its members explore and define the french rivers. They identify difficulties, compile information and publish guides to allow the expansion of this sport. They also take part of rivers management. The main objective of these activities is to prepare all club members to the potential dangers of whitewater canoeing, to make the risk acceptable. For this reason, the action of the Canoe Club will move towards the improvement of the watercourse, by identifying hazards and problems, and proposing changes aimed at reducing real risks (dams, mills, factories). At the same time, canoeists assume the risk and put in perspective the danger related to the practice. The long preparations before shipments allow canoeists to have a literary knowledge of the rafting, which reveal two different visions: river’s violence and watercourse's quietness. From these two visions the canoeists adapt themselves to the risk, as seen in the analysis on floods.

Keywords

• risk
• flood
• tourism
• canoe
• sport