Few studies address past droughts by combining different geographical and temporal scales, and a contextualization of social and environmental conditions. This paper proposes a study of the 1857–1858 dry spell in eastern France (Alsace), its natural (climatological and hydrological) as well as socio-political consequences. This episode is one of the major droughts that affected the north of France in the nineteenth century, as much by its duration as by its intensity. Here, we do not only consider the drought as a natural hazard producing physical damage (lack of water, weakening of river discharge) or social tensions (competition for the water, conflicts), but we place it in the particular context of the basins it affects, in order to better evaluate its natural and social intensity. First, we highlight the importance of the 1857–1858 drought from the regional to the Alsatian scale, by unravelling the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitations, based on available instrumental measurements. Depending on the stations, the rainfall deficit established between 10 and 40% of the average rainfall amount in 1857 or 1858. Suitable, narrative sources from municipal, departmental and national archives allow us to specify the position of water stakeholders and to analyse the discourses as well as their social and political reactions. Comparing natural and social data, it appears that rivalries for water resource did not necessarily match the meteorological rhythm of the dry spell. The severity of the drought varies depending on economic needs. Three periods seem very demanding for water consumers: August–September 1857, February 1858, and August–October 1858. The structural responses appear to be linked to the economic context, both at a local and national scale. Finally, our approach shows that drought partly is a socially constructed phenomenon, and one to consider carefully, when it comes to both contemporary and past events. Hence, to better understand drought episodes, we need to disentangle the socio-natural interactions at the local level.

中文翻译：

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阿尔萨斯1857年至1858年的干旱：从缺水到社会政治极端事件

很少有研究通过结合不同的地理和时间尺度以及社会和环境条件来应对过去的干旱。本文提议对法国东部（阿尔萨斯）1857-1858年的干旱进行研究，研究其自然（气候和水文）以及社会政治后果。这一事件是19世纪影响法国北部的主要干旱之一，其持续时间和强度均如此。在这里，我们不仅将干旱视为自然灾害，造成自然破坏（缺水，河流流量减弱）或社会紧张局势（争水，冲突），而且将其置于盆地的特定环境中影响，以便更好地评估其自然和社会强度。第一，通过根据可用的仪器测量数据揭示降水的时空分布，我们突出了从区域到阿尔萨斯规模的1857-1858年干旱的重要性。根据不同的气象站，降雨赤字在1857年或1858年达到平均降雨量的10％至40％之间。来自市政，部门和国家档案馆的适当叙述性资料使我们能够指定水利害攸关方的立场并将其分析为以及他们的社会和政治反应。比较自然数据和社会数据，似乎水资源争夺不一定与干旱时期的气象节奏相匹配。干旱的严重程度取决于经济需求。对用水者来说，三个时期似乎非常苛刻：1857年8月至9月，1858年2月 1858年8月至10月10日。在地方和国家范围内，结构性反应似乎都与经济环境有关。最后，我们的方法表明，干旱在某种程度上是一种社会建构的现象，在涉及当代和过去的事件时，都应仔细考虑。因此，为了更好地了解干旱事件，我们需要弄清地方层面的社会自然互动。