Giant anti-flooding device built upstream of Paris

A bitterly contested hydraulic structure in the Seine-et-Marne area east of Paris is starting to fill up, designed to protect towns on the banks of the Seine from flooding – first and foremost the French capital, which is vulnerable to major flooding aggravated by global warming. “In the case of a flood like 2016 or 2018, which was already significant and caused considerable damage, this structure would have worked and reduced the damage considerably,” says Baptiste Blanchard, general manager of Seine Grands Lacs.