Book excerpt: This book aims to stimulate new thinking on the roles of river contracts in the protection and management of hydrographic resources and ecosystems and in the sustainable development of dependent territories and communities. Up-to-date information is provided on a range of topics relating to river contracts, including their relevance to implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive on integrated river basin management. The importance of river contracts for innovation in territorial planning and governance is explored with the aid of comparative analysis between France and Italy that encompasses water management policies, legislative frameworks, contents and procedures, and stakeholder rules and participation. This analysis is supported by enlightening case studies in urbanized and rural contexts within the two countries. The book will be of high interest for all who wish to understand the potential of river contracts to create innovative forums for dialogue and knowledge sharing between public/private stakeholders and local communities and to prompt a new form of governance of river ecosystems and territories that is compliant with the subsidiarity principle.