The Former Water Route

The RESMYLE project sets up a series of international training workshops for young people to learn about sustainable development and acquire life skills by supporting local initiatives: the training camps.

The training site

This field workshop will try to answer the following question: how can we put the hydraulic heritage back at the service of the inhabitants in a context of recurrent water stress?

During 15 days, you will participate in:

• The restoration of an aiguier (cistern dug into the rock). You will follow an initiation to traditional dry-stone masonry and lime plastering.
• Carrying out a survey among the inhabitants (interviews, photos, referencing of buildings) and gathering valuable information about the water-related heritage of the area.
• The creation of a walking aid for the water route, in the form of explanatory panels and/or an accompanying topographical guide (design, photos, writing, formatting)

The results will be presented at a final event with the inhabitants of Malemort du Comtat.

Hosting conditions

The participants will be accommodated in a hamlet in the village of Malemort du Comtat, in an old renovated farm. They will sleep in three guest houses. They will have access to a large common workroom. Bed linen and towels are not provided.

Meals will be prepared and taken on site. They will be provided in the form of a packed lunch to enable you to get to the training workshop sites on different days.

Practical information

Working languages: French and English

Clothing: Please bring practical clothing for the field work, trousers, t-shirt, jumper and warm jacket as well as good walking shoes.

Conditions of participation

Open to 12 participants, from 18 to 29 years old, looking for a job, graduate or not, or creating a job related to the environment and/or heritage.

The registration and participation fees, as well as accommodation, transport and meals during the two weeks are entirely covered by the RESMYLE programme.

Participants commit themselves to coming for the whole duration of the work camp.

The village of Malemort du Comtat

The project is located in the commune of Malemort du Comtat, in the Vaucluse department in France.

Thanks to its position at the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse, the land of Malemort du Comtat benefits from direct irrigation from the mountain run-off. Also, its water tables and springs have preserved it from drought for many years. In addition to this, the ingenuity of the Malemortais.es has for many centuries endeavoured to channel its springs to fill watering holes, create washhouses, restanques (dry stone wall supporting a crop) to cultivate the land in order to avoid losses due to run-off and also the famous Provençal fountains. However, for a certain number of years, all the irrigation systems have been attached to the Rhône, leading to the abandonment of certain works which are now dry and in ruins.

You will participate in a better appropriation of the heritage for the inhabitants, you will make them aware of the importance of the maintenance of these buildings to prevent drought and natural risks. The enhancement of this particular heritage could generate a more important tourist activity for the commune.

By rehabilitating the hydraulic heritage, the water diverted from its former canalized path will be rehabilitated for use by the inhabitants.

The commune of Malemort du Comtat has been thinking for many years of setting up this project but the means and time available are lacking. This training camp will act as a stimulus for all parties involved in the project.

Conditions of participation

We only take entries from Italy, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan.

Remember to contact your local embassy for any information concerning the visa application.

For international applications from Italy, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan, please fill the questionnaire: https://forms.gle/mt9j4kh7EFerVWyX7

For participants from Italy, Jordan and Lebanon: To come to France, you must present proof of a complete vaccination with one of the vaccines recognised by the European Medicines Agency OR a negative PCR or antigenic test

For participants from Tunisia: To come to France, you must present proof of a complete vaccination with all the doses prescribed with one of the vaccines recognised by the European Medicines Agency and a delay after the last dose, which varies according to the vaccine administered, in addition to the administrative obligations (passport, visa).

Recognised laboratories: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson