Dr. Josselin Rouillard

Print

Dr. Josselin Rouillard

Doctor of Philosophy
MSc (Environmental Change and Management)
BSc (Environmental Sciences)

Senior Fellow

Team
Topics

Dr. Josselin Rouillard joined Ecologic Institute Berlin in 2013 and works on environmental governance and economics, with specific expertise in water and river basin management, rural development, and climate change adaptation. His background spans both academic research and consultancy services for supporting the implementation of water, climate and agricultural policies in Europe, with experience worldwide. His research work draws on adaptive governance and resilience scholarship, collective action theories and policy science studies. Josselin Rouillard is a native French speaker, is fluent in English and has a good knowledge of Spanish.

At Ecologic Institute, Josselin's work concentrates on providing support to European and national institutions on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. He worked on the State of Europe's Waters, was a lead author on the report Water and Agriculture: towards sustainable solutions and has been working on water scarcity and groundwater management for the European Environment Agency. For the European Commission, Josselin has been working on the development of guidance on the definition of good ecological potential, the assessment of water measures in Rural Development Plans and assistance on strengthening the use of financing instruments in river basin management. He is a member of the European Topic Centre on Inland Coastal and Marine waters (ETC-ICM) and the European Topic Centre on Urban, Land and Soils Systems (ETC-ULS).

Between 2018 and 2020, Josselin was on secondment at the French Geological Survey (Brgm). His research examined how to create and sustain collective action for the sustainable management of agricultural water use focusing on the overexploitation of water and groundwater resources. The research also assessed water allocations systems to achieve environmental flows in several countries.

Before joining Ecologic Institute Josselin Rouillard was a research associate for the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) and the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science at the University of Dundee (United Kingdom), where he worked on a variety of research projects on river basin management and the ecosystem services approach. He also worked as a project officer for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, as an environmental consultant with Europe-Planet Earth and for ACTeon (France), and as an intern for the European Environmental Bureau in Brussels (Belgium).

He completed his doctorate studies in 2012 as part of a collaborative program between the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society, the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh. His thesis was on adaptive water governance, flood risk management and rural development in Scotland. He holds an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of Reading.

Contact Dr. Josselin Rouillard by Email

The data sent will only be processed for the purpose of processing your request. You will find further information in our privacy notice.

Selected projects by Dr. Josselin Rouillard

Water resources

ProjectEuropean Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters (ETC-ICM)
 
|©EvgenyKuklev|iStockphoto.com
Ecologic Institute is member of the European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters (ETC-ICM) which works with the European Environment Agency (EEA) under a Framework Partnership Agreement for the period from 2019 to 2021. The ETC-ICM aims to provide... Read more

European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters (ETC-ICM)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectStudy of the Impacts of Pressures on Groundwater in Europe
 

Groundwater spring in the Beauce region, France

|

© Josselin Rouillard

As part of this project for the European Environment Agency, Ecologic Institute is providing an overview of the chemical and quantitative status of groundwater across Europe, and its significance for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Groundwater is a crucial... Read more

Study of the Impacts of Pressures on Groundwater in Europe

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectRiver Basins and Financial Redistribution in Practice (EcoCuencas)
 
This project aims at strengthening the financing of River Basin Organisations (RBOs) in Latin America. Adequate financing of RBOs is crucial for improving water management and increasing local capacities to prepare for and adapt to climate change. In order to achieve... Read more

River Basins and Financial Redistribution in Practice (EcoCuencas)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectManaging Water Demand in Europe: An Assessment of Price and Non-price Measures and an Update on Price Elasticity of Water Demand
 
| Fotolia© 2jenn
In this joint project commissioned by the European Environment Agency, the team at Ecologic Institute evaluates both technical aspects (e.g. cost-effectiveness) and implementation dimensions (e.g. barriers and enabling factors) of water demand management practices in... Read more

Managing Water Demand in Europe: An Assessment of Price and Non-price Measures and an Update on Price Elasticity of Water Demand

Duration
-
Funding

Agriculture

ProjectEvaluation of the Contribution of EU Rural Development Policy to Water and Flood Policy
 
| Fotolia © Guido Thomasi
A consortium including Ecologic Institute has been commissioned by the European Commission to provide support in the evaluation of the contribution of Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Floods Directive ... Read more

Evaluation of the Contribution of EU Rural Development Policy to Water and Flood Policy

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectUpdated Inventory and Assessment of Soil Protection Policy Instruments in EU Member States
 
| © Emilio González-Sánchez
This project, led by Ecologic Institute, aims to take stock of existing soil policy instruments in the EU in order to identify gaps in protection and to support the decision-making process for further policy action. Collaborating closely with experts from 28 EU Member... Read more

Updated Inventory and Assessment of Soil Protection Policy Instruments in EU Member States

Duration
-
Funding

Ecosystem restoration

ProjectCIS Guidance on Article 4(7), Inter-comparison of Good Ecological Potential and Hydromorphological Assessment Methods
 
| Fotolia © magann
In the latest Work Programme 2016-2018 of the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Water Directors of European countries agreed specific Ad-hoc Task Groups (ATGs) should be set up on the following topics: (1) Best practice and... Read more

CIS Guidance on Article 4(7), Inter-comparison of Good Ecological Potential and Hydromorphological Assessment Methods

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectSupport to the Ad-hoc Task Groups on Hydromorphology and Article 4(7) of the WFD
 
In the latest Work Programme 2016-2018 of the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Water Directors of European countries agreed specific Ad-hoc Task Groups (ATGs) should be set up on the following topics: (1) Best practice and... Read more

Support to the Ad-hoc Task Groups on Hydromorphology and Article 4(7) of the WFD

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Across EU Policies (AQUACROSS)
 
Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies (AQUACROSS) aims to support EU efforts to protect aquatic biodiversity and ensure the provision of aquatic ecosystem services. Funded by Europe's Horizon 2020... Read more

Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Across EU Policies (AQUACROSS)

Duration
-
Funding

Adaptation to climate change

ProjectIntegrated Water Resource Management and Climate Change Adaptation
 
| Fotolia © c_irochka
Countries such as Bangladesh face fundamental threats on their water resources from climate change. Significant demand exists for knowledge how to enhance institutional capacity and effectiveness of water management policies. This project objective is to investigate how... Read more

Integrated Water Resource Management and Climate Change Adaptation

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectFP 7Economics of Climate Change Adaptation in Europe (ECONADAPT)
 
| Fotolia © focus finder
The ECONADAPT project, on the Economics of Adaptation, was a research project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Recognizing that there is an economic rationale for climate change adaptation, the ECONADAPT project set out to advance the... Read more

Economics of Climate Change Adaptation in Europe (ECONADAPT)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectFP 7Making Society an Active Participant in Water Adaptation to Global Change (BeWater)
 
Sustainable water management under climate change is an urgent challenge for the Euro-Mediterranean region. The BeWater FP7 project supports a transition to stakeholder-driven river basin water management planning in this region by working together with local partners... Read more

Making Society an Active Participant in Water Adaptation to Global Change (BeWater)

Duration
-
Funding
Selected publications by Dr. Josselin Rouillard

Water resources

PublicationArticleFrom State to User-based Water Allocations
 

Irrigation in Dordogne, France

|

© Josselin Rouillard

In a new scientific article published in Agricultural Water Management, Dr. Josselin Rouillard, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, and co-author Dr. Jean-Daniel Rinaudo (Brgm) examine strategies to manage the overexploitation of water by agriculture. The research... Read more

Rouillard, Josselin, and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo. "From State to user-based water allocations: An empirical analysis of institutions developed by agricultural user associations in France." Agricultural Water Management 239 (2020): 106269.

PublicationArticleGroundwater and Agriculture: A Comparison of Managing Scarcity and Droughts in France and California
 
Groundwater is a strategic resource for agricultural production across the world, accounting for 33% of total water abstraction worldwide and half of the irrigation water used to grow the world’s food. It plays a crucial for water and food security and the economic... Read more

Rouillard, Josselin 2019: Groundwater and agriculture: a comparison of managing scarcity and droughts in France and California. California WaterBlog, 24 March 2019, https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/03/24/groundwater-and-agriculture-a-comparison-of-managing-scarcity-and-droughts-in-france-and-california/.

PublicationBook SectionGoverning for the Nexus: Empirical, Theoretical and Normative Dimensions
 
In this chapter the authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Josselin Rouillard, examine how the Water-Energy-Food nexus is emerging at different scales and national contexts worldwide. The chapter presents empirical evidence of innovations in terms of policy... Read more

David Benson, Animesh K Gain, Josselin Rouillard et. al. 2017: Governing for the nexus: empirical, theoretical and normative dimensions. in: P. Abdul Salam, Sangam Shrestha, Vishnu Prasad Pandey, Anil K. Anal (Eds.): Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Principles and Practices.

PublicationReportImplementing Redistributive Financial Mechanisms in River Basin Management
 
It is common wisdom that the water crisis is not a resource crisis but rather a crisis of governance (e.g. UN World Water Development Report 2). Improving water governance and achieving the sustainable management of water resources, which will maintain water-related... Read more

Vidaurre, R., Rouillard, J., Krüger, I. (2017). Implementing Redistributive Financial Mechanisms in River Basin Management. Ecologic Institute.

Vidaurre, R., Rouillard, J., Krüger, I. (2017). Implementando Mecanismos Financieros Redistributivos en la
Gestión de Cuencas: Guía para América Latina. Ecologic Institute.

PublicationArticleGetting into the Water with the Ecosystem Services Approach
 
Die Struktur des DESSIN-ESS-Evaluierungsrahmens (basierend auf Müller und Burkhard, 2012; Van Oudenhoven et al., 2012; Haines-Young und Potschin, 2010 & Haines-Young und Potschin, 2011)
Ecologic Institute contributed to a practical guide for local-level evaluations of changes in ecosystem services. The approach helps to associate such changes to specific water management measures and enables both monetization and qualitative appraisal of impacts.... Read more

Anzaldua, Gerardo et. al. (2018). Getting into the water with the Ecosystem Services Approach: The DESSIN ESS evaluation framework. Ecosystem Services.

PublicationPolicy BriefDesigning Governance and Financing Regimes to Encourage Innovation Uptake
 
Within the European water research project "Demonstrate Ecosystem Services Enabling Innovation in the Water Sector (DESSIN)," a policy brief on governance factors conducive to innovation in the urban water sector was published. Josselin Rouillard and Rodrigo Vidaurre... Read more

Rouillard, Josselin; Vidaurre, Rodrigo: Designing governance and financing regimes to encourage innovation uptake. A guide for water managers and policy makers. DESSIN policy brief 1. October 2015.

PublicationPolicy BriefIncreasing Chances of Innovation Uptake Through Governance
 
Within the European water research project "Demonstrate Ecosystem Services Enabling Innovation in the Water Sector (DESSIN)" a policy brief on governance factors conducive to innovation in the urban water sector was published. Rodrigo Vidaurre and Josselin Rouillard... Read more

Vidaurre Rodrigo and Rouillard Josselin: Increasing chances of innovation uptake through governance. A guide for technology companies and water utilities. DESSIN policy brief 2. October 2015.

PublicationReportDesign and Development of Economic Policy Instrument in European Water Policy
 
Despite their successful application in other environmental domain (such as air quality and climate), the use of economic policy instruments (EPIs) to tackle water management issues has faced many challenges. This report, written by Ecologic Institute in collaboration... Read more

Delacámara, G.; Dworak,T.; Gómez,CM.; Lago,M.; Maziotis, A.; Rouillard, J.; Strosser, P.; 2013. EPI-Water Deliverable 5.3: Guidance on the design and development of Economic Policy Instruments in European water policy. EPI-Water - Evaluating Economic Policy Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in Europe.

Agriculture

PublicationReportWater and Agriculture
 
publication's cover

© European Environment Agency (EEA)

As part of its work within the ETC-ICM, Ecologic Institute has contributed as lead author to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report examining the multiple pressures that agriculture put on Europe's water. The report shows that that a wider uptake of sustainable... Read more

EEA 2021: Water and agriculture: towards sustainable solutions. EEA report 17/2020. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 128pp.

PublicationReportKey Descriptive Statistics on the Consideration of Water Issues in Rural Development Programmes 2014-2020
 
As part its on-going participation to a framework contract with the European Commission on supporting the implementation of European water policies, Ecologic Institute led an assessment of how Member States' current Rural Development Programmes (2014-2020) address... Read more

Rouillard, Josselin; Maria Berglund 2017: European level report: Key descriptive statistics on the consideration of water issues in the Rural Development Programmes 2014-2020. Ecologic Institute, Fresh Thoughts: Berlin, Vienna.

PublicationReportGuidance on "Good Practices" for Rural Development Programmes from a Water Perspective
 
In the context of a framework contract with the European Commission focused on supporting the implementation of European water policies, Ecologic Institute has contributed to the preparation of a best practice overview report on how water management issues can be... Read more

Berglund, Maria; Josselin Rouillard; Thomas Dworak 2017: Guidance on a "Good Practice" RDP from a Water Perspective. Fresh Thoughts, Ecologic Institute: Vienna, Berlin.

Ecosystem restoration

PublicationReport European Waters – Assessment of Status and Pressures 2018
 
EEA Report Nr. 7/2018
In 2018, the European Commission will publish its report on the assessment of the second River Basin Management Programme (RBMPs) and will start the process of evaluating the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (EC, 2017a). To accompany and inform this process, the European... Read more

EEA 2018: European Waters Assessment of Status and Pressures. EEA Report No 7/2018. European Environment Agency, Luxembourg.

PublicationReportWG ECOSTAT Report on Common Understanding of Using Mitigation Measures for Reaching Good Ecological Potential for HMWBs (Part 3)
 
JRC110959
Hydromorphological alterations for drainage are widespread pressures on water bodies in Europe. Because of the importance of the water uses relying on drainage schemes, such as agriculture and urban areas, not all necessary restoration measures can be taken without... Read more

Rouillard J, Kampa E, (eds), WG ECOSTAT report on common understanding of using mitigation measures for reaching Good Ecological Potential for Heavily Modified Water Bodies, EUR 29132 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2018.

PublicationArticleIntroducing the H2020 AQUACROSS Project
 
    ... Read more

Lago, M., Boteler, B., Rouillard, J., Abhold, K., Jähnig, S., Iglesias-Campos, A., Delacámara, G., Piet, G., Hein, T., Nogueira, A., Lillebø, A., Strosser, P., Robinson, L., De Wever, A., O'Higgins, T., Schlüter, M., Török, L., Reichert, P., van Ham, C., Villa, F. and Hugh, M. (2019). Introducing the H2020 AQUACROSS project: Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies. Science of The Total Environment, 652, pp.320-329.

PublicationArticleProtecting and Restoring Biodiversity Across the Freshwater, Coastal and Marine Realms
 
This paper presents an integrated assessment of how EU policies influence aquatic biodiversity in order to determine how EU policies and laws contribute to achieving and/or hindering EU and international biodiversity targets. The authors from Ecologic Institute, IUCN,... Read more

Rouillard, J., Lago, M., Abhold, K. et.al. (2017). Protecting and Restoring Biodiversity across the Freshwater, Coastal and Marine Realms: Is the existing EU policy framework fit for purpose?. Environmental Policy and Governance.

PublicationArticleProtecting Aquatic Biodiversity in Europe
 
As part of the Horizon 2020 project AQUACROSS, Ecologic Institute and consortium members have published an article in the peer-reviewed journal Ambio examining the potential of Ecosystem-Based Management as an integrative policy concept for improving the integration of... Read more

Rouillard, J., Lago, M., Abhold, K. et al. 2018: Protecting aquatic biodiversity in Europe: How much do EU environmental policies support ecosystem-based management? Ambio (47)1. doi:10.1007/s13280-017-0928-4

Adaptation to climate change

PublicationWeb ApplicationTools for Economic Evaluation of Climate Adaptation: ECONADAPT's Toolbox and Library
 
The FP7 Project ECONADAPT came to a close in September 2016 after three years of research on the economics of adaptation. The main impetus of the project was to support adaptation planning through building the knowledge base on the economics of adaptation to climate... Read more

ECONADAPT Consortium 2016: ECONADAPT / The Economics of Climate Change Adaptation. URL: http://econadapt.eu/

PublicationReportThe Economics of Climate Change Adaptation
 
Tröltzsch, J., Rouillard, J., Tarpey, J., Lago, M., Watkiss, P., Hunt, A. (2016). The economics of climate change adaptation: Insights into economic assessment methods. ECONADAPT Deliverable 10.2 ... Read more

Tröltzsch, J., Rouillard, J., Tarpey, J., Lago, M., Watkiss, P., Hunt, A. (2016). The economics of climate change adaptation: Insights into economic assessment methods. ECONADAPT Deliverable 10.2

PublicationReportThe Economic Analysis of Climate Adaptation
 
Rouillard, J., Tröltzsch, J., Tarpey, J., Lago, M., Watkiss, P., Hunt, A. Bosello, F., Ermolieva, T., Goodess, C., Mechler, R., Parrado, R., Sainz de Murieta, E., Scussolini, P. (2016). The economic analysis of climate adaptation: Insights for policy-makers. ECONADAPT... Read more

Rouillard, J., Tröltzsch, J., Tarpey, J., Lago, M., Watkiss, P., Hunt, A. Bosello, F., Ermolieva, T., Goodess, C., Mechler, R., Parrado, R., Sainz de Murieta, E., Scussolini, P. (2016). The economic analysis of climate adaptation: Insights for policy-makers. ECONADAPT deliverable 10.3

Recent content by Dr. Josselin Rouillard

Project:Horizon Europe
 
Govaqua Logo
The overall goal of GOVAQUA is to identify, assess, develop and validate innovative water governance instruments and approaches to support and accelerate a transition towards sustainable and equitable water use in Europe. Such a transition is urgently required to reconcile water uses and environmental needs and to reach the aims of the EU WFD, the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. GOVAQUA is a 4-year Research and Innovation Action (funded by the EU) that brings together 12 partners from across Europe.

Governance Innovations for a Transition to Sustainable and Equitable Water Use in Europe (GOVAQUA)

-

Read more
Project
 
This project will 1) identify good examples, new and innovative interventions to contribute to biodiversity and climate objectives of the CAP; 2) assess CAP Strategic Plan interventions that correspond to the biodiversity and climate ambitions in the four CAP Strategic Plans of Germany, France, Spain and Poland; 3) analyze whether these interventions correspond to the scientific evidence and whether they are relevant and sufficient; 4) consider co-benefits and trade-offs between different policy objectives.

Innovative Agricultural Interventions to Reach EU Biodiversity and Climate Objectives

-

Read more
Publication:Book
 
Book cover "Water Resources Allocation and Agriculture Transitioning from Open to Regulated Access"
In this open access book, Dr. Josselin Rouillard together with Christina Babbitt (Environment Defense Fund, U.S.), Edward Challies (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo (BRGM, France) compile an international account of water allocation policies supporting a transition to sustainable water use in regions where agriculture is the dominant water use.

Water Resources Allocation and Agriculture

Transitioning from Open to Regulated Access

Year

Read more
Project
 
Ecologic Institute is contributing to a study aiming to map the implementation choices of Member States in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans. It also aims to assess the joint effort of Member States towards agricultural, rural development and environmental policy goals. This study is part of the European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP, which supports the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and Member States in the evaluation and implementation of a performance-based monitoring and evaluation framework for the CAP from 2022.

Mapping Study of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Analysis of Joint Efforts

-

Read more
Project
 
The European Green Deal and the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change recognise the need for further action in the field of quantitative water management and include priority actions to stimulate and foster resilience and sustainability. Under a new contract for the European Commission, Ecologic Institute is contributing to a study on water quantity management in Europe and supports the work of the task group on Water Scarcity and Droughts of the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD.

Water Quantity Management

-

Read more
Project
 
Over the past years, concerns and wide recognition about drought events and water scarcity have grown across the EU. The objectives of the assessment in this project are: to better understand national policies, strategies and plans on droughts in EU Member States, to gather detailed knowledge on existing drought management plans, including the use of exemptions under Art. 4(6) of the WFD, and to identify main challenges and lessons learnt in applying drought management, as well as the main issues to be addressed in order to improve the integration of drought management into river basin management planning. Ecologic Institute is part of the team that assesses national policies, strategies and plans on droughts in EU Member States based on document review and interviews with competent authorities and relevant stakeholders.

In-depth Assessment of Drought Management Plans

-

Read more
Publication:Report
 
cover of publication
The report "Intercomparison of Ecological Potential for Rivers" reviews and intercompares the methods used in European countries to define the ecological potential of river heavily modified water bodies. The report has been developed as part of an intercomparison exercise, which took place in the Water Framework Directive Common Implementation Strategy (WFD CIS) in 2019-2021. The report presents and summarises the information provided by European countries on the application of steps of CIS Guidance no. 37 "Steps for defining and assessing ecological potential for improving comparability of Heavily Modified Water Bodies" in the 3rd River Basin Management Plans.

Intercomparison of Ecological Potential for Rivers

Year

Read more
Publication:Report
 
Cover of the report "Water resources across Europe"
According to a recent EEA report co-authored by Ecologic Institute, water stress has become a serious problem across Europe and climate change is likely to raise the challenge. The report "Water resources across Europe – confronting water stress: an updated assessment" calls for a shift from crisis management to risk management to prevent irreversible negative consequences for nature and society. The report emphasizes the need for greater water use efficiency and improved ecosystem resilience, as water resources become insufficient to meet the joint demand of humans and nature.

Water Resources Across Europe

Confronting water stress: an updated assessment

Year

Read more
Project:Horizon 2020
 
Europe's environment is in an alarming state, with climate change expected to further aggravate the situation. This substantially threatens economic prosperity, human wellbeing and social peace. Our society and economy need systemic transformative change, and ecosystem restoration integrated into nature-based solutions lies at its heart. MERLIN (Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: Innovation, upscaling and transformation) is a 4-year Innovation Action project (funded by the EU) which aims to support transformative ecosystem restoration. The project will work in 17 flagship projects, from Finland to Israel, in order to generate a blueprint for to implement, upscale and replicate restoration and nature based solutions in freshwater ecosystems.

Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of Freshwater Related Ecosystems in a Landscape Context (MERLIN)

Innovation, upscaling and transformation

-

Read more