Description du sujet de thèse

In the context of the publication of the 2022-2026 Joint Action Plan on One Health entitled 'Working together for healthy humans, animals, plants and the environment' by FAO, UNEP, WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health in 2023, and the release of the latest IPBES Nexus report on 17 December 2024, it is essential to translate scientific findings into legal commitments. The IPBES conclusions thus reveal the importance of creating synergies between biodiversity, water, food and health policies.
In France, the evolution of the law towards a 'One Health' approach has been well underway with the integration of the exposome into the law of 2 January 2016 on the modernisation of the health system. However, the approach remains compartmentalised and fragmented. The PNSE and the work carried out by the Health and Environment Group, set up in 2009 to ensure ongoing reflection on the subject, have a limited role and resources. An in-depth study conducted by the SFDE in conjunction with the Health and Biodiversity Alliance shows the need for legislation to transform codes and introduce a One Health principle.
Recently, the report Tackling five interconnected global crises in biodiversity, water, food, health and climate change - known as the Nexus report - was launched by IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) on 17 December 2024. This assessment report on the links between biodiversity, water, food and health establishes a scientific consensus on the interdependencies between these entities and explores more than 70 response options.
It reveals that the current siloed approaches are blocking public policy, whereas effective management of these issues requires policies and actions capable of generating synergies.
Considering these widely established findings, the thesis aims to study all the legal issues inherent in the ambitious process of integrating the One Health principle into French law. It will analyse the experiences of different regions in France and draw lessons for legal developments at the national level. Advances in international and European law relating to the One Health approach will be considered, as well as lessons learned from comparative law.

The thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the current and future functioning of the marsh in its wider environment, the pressures it is under and will be under, the impact of these pressures on the balance of the socio-ecosystem, the various uses of the territory and its surroundings, and finally the levers provided by the legislative framework and their possible limitations.
- In the context of the roll-out of a new National Health and Environment Plan, regional experiments are expected. Thus, the development of 'One Health' initiatives at the local level is beginning in France. These initiatives are particularly well suited to the specific challenges of different regions, taking into account their unique epidemiological, demographic, socio-economic and ecological characteristics, for all living organisms, as well as the resulting interconnected health issues. The questions of the scale of action and the contextualisation of diagnoses of 'regional health' in all its components are essential.
With this in mind, the following is planned:
• To study the link between national 'One Health' initiatives (such as the 'GD4H' led by the CGDD , the 'planetary health, one health' observatory project led by Santé Publique France, or the reflections and recommendations on 'one health' indicators by the GSE's 'one health' monitoring group) and at a defined territorial level such as Brouage, in conjunction with local authority support tools (CLS, CRTE, PAT, CPER, etc.) and with Ecological Planning.
• To study the current or future distribution of responsibilities among the actors involved in a territorial 'One Health' approach (i.e. decompartmentalised)
- to establish links between the experts of the Health and Biodiversity Alliance, which brings together eight structures of specialists and professionals (doctors, veterinarians, biologists, etc.)
- Participate in working seminars aimed at producing operational recommendations for implementing a One Health principle at the territorial level.
- Contribute to the multidisciplinary work carried out by the Brouage Observatory for the human axis in collaboration with the other axes.


The candidate must have a background in public law with a specialisation in environmental law and local government law. He/she must have good interpersonal skills in order to be able to conduct interviews with elected officials. The ability to work in a team with an open mind to interdisciplinarity is essential.

Contexte de travail

The project is part of the implementation of the Brouage Observatory project funded by the SGAR. Built in line with the region's sustainable development objectives, the observatory aims to conduct interdisciplinary research of excellence to deepen our understanding of the functioning and future evolution of coastal socio-ecosystems using a systemic approach, which is necessary for the informed management of these territories. The affiliated laboratory is the LIENSs UMR at La Rochelle University. The thesis will be registered at the Euclide Doctoral School of La Rochelle University.

Contraintes et risques

The position involves regular travel to the Brouage Observatory site.