Teaching & training

Every year, the hydrology team provides about 100 hours of courses in higher education and about 100 hours of continuing education.

Courses in initial training are mainly aimed at Master’s or engineering school students. Continuing education courses can be addressed to the academic world (researchers and PhD students), as well as to the operational actors of the water sector (forecasting services, decentralized State services, river syndicates) or to private operators from the economic world (insurers, engineering offices, electricity producers).
For any training request, please contact: Charles Perrin.

Areas of expertise

We operate in the following areas:

• General hydrology
  • water cycle and basic processes
  • catchment areas and measures
  • water balance and water regime
• Hydrological modelling
  • main principles
  • rain-flow model shimming
  • model validation and application
  • hydrological simulation on lightly or ungauged basins
  • uncertainty quantification
• Applied hydrology
  • statistical analysis of hydrological data
  • flow predetermination
  • regionalization approaches
  • water risk and resource management
  • spatial variability and flow mapping
• Flow forecasting
  • flood and low-flow forecasting
  • hydrometeorological forecast chain
  • ensemble forecasting and uncertainties
  • assessment of the quality and value of forecasts
• Impact of global changes
  • climate change impacts
  • impact of land use change
  • coping strategies
• Computer programming
  • beginner’s level
  • advanced stage
• Introduction to hydrology
  • speeches for the general public

We also organize field trips focused on flow measurement (as part of the ORACLE observatory, on the Orgeval watershed) and on careers in hydrology.

Education and training provided

Initial training

• Sorbonne University (Paris)
  • Master 2 Hydrologie, Hydrogéologie, Géochimie environnementale (HHGE) [module description]
  • 3^rd year engineer Polytech Sorbonne
• University of Tours
  • Master 2 Hydrosystèmes et Bassins versants (HBV)
• University of Paris-Saclay
  • Master 2 Hydrologie, Hydrogéologie et Sols (HHS)
• University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
  • 3^rd year engineer Polytech Nice-Sophia
• École Centrale Paris
  • Option Biotech Engineering
• Engineering School of Paris City
  • 2^nd year engineer [module description]
• École polytechnique
  • Master 2 Ecotecnologies for sustainability and Environment Management (ECOSEM)
• École des Ponts ParisTech
  • Ingénieur Ville environnement transport (VET) & Master 2 Systèmes Aquatiques et Gestion de l’Eau (SAGE)

Continuing education

The team organizes annual training sessions for the State Flood Forecasting Services. It also provides, on request, training to various water stakeholders.

In addition, it organizes the HydroGR Days, which aim to promote and transfer the methods and tools it develops. These meetings can take the form of training courses, information days or schools for researchers.

Finally, it offers training courses which are registered in the catalogue of the doctoral school of which it is a partner.

• Institut de formation de l’environnement (IFORE), in the Flood Forecsasting coordinated by the Vigicrues network
  • GRP flood forecasting model
  • Uncertainties and flood forecasting (getting to grips with OTAMIN software)
• HydroGR Days
  • R packages airGR et airGRteaching [program]
  • GRP flood forecasting model [program]
• Doctoral School Géosciences, Ressources naturelles et Environnement (ED 398)
  • Computer programming
  • Geomatics

Internal training courses

The team regularly provides training at the INRAE centre in Antony (HYCAR research units, PROSE, FRISE). These trainings are also open to our partners (UMR METIS, LSCE, etc.).

• Fortran computer language
  • Initiation [program]
• R computer language
  • Initiation (programming and statistics) [program]
  • Basics (programming) [program]
  • Geomatics (programming and geomatics) [program]

Scientific popularization

• Descartes High School (Antony)

Tools offered

For the teaching of hydrological modelling, the team offers tools for educational purposes.

Open Source Software

• Excel Spreadsheets:
  • GR4J hydrological model
  • CemaNeige snow accumulation and melting model
• airGRteaching
  • R package: very simple functions to use all the GR models (including GR4J and GR2M + CemaNeige) and a graphical interface
  • Online Graphical User Interface: to avoid computer programming (GR4J, GR5J, GR6J + CemaNeige)

Role-playing games

The team has also developed several role-playing games to address issues related to hydrological forecasting, available for download at HEPEX.

Educational books

• Hydrology
  • Michel C. (1991). Hydrologie appliquée aux petits bassins versants ruraux. CEMAGREF, Antony, 320 p.
• Popularization in hydrology
  • Andréassian V. (2005). Pourquoi les rivières débordent-elles ? Collection Les Petites Pommes du Savoir, n° 61, Ed. Le Pommier, Paris, 63 p.
  • Andréassian V. & Lerat J. (2007). Le surprenant cycle de l’eau. Les Minipommes, n° 19, Ed. Le Pommier, Paris, 59 p.
  • Andréassian V. & Margat J. (2014). Allons-nous manquer d’eau ? [édition augmentée] Ed. Le Pommier, Paris, 128 p.
• Computer programming
  • Delaigue O. (2016). Géomatique avec R. Manipuler, analyser et représenter des données géographiques. IRSTEA, Antony, 229 p.