The speakers and the participants of the Congrès du Rhône (organised by the Industrial Services of Geneva in June 2006) seem to agree that holistic approaches (i e, basin-scale strategies) are necessary for an effective management of the Rhone ecosystem within a framework of sustainable development. The ultimate success of such strategies depends, however, on some factors which have not been discussed in sufficient depth during the «Congres». These factors include (but are not necessarily limited to) a better interdisciplinary cooperation among the different interested parties, a better appreciation of the temporal scales at which natural environmental processes occur, a recognition that sustainable development cannot come without some associated socio-economical costs, and a correction of the anthropocentric vision of nature. Some considerations on these issues are offered in the present essay as a contribution for developing effective, equitable and socially acceptable, long-term management strategies for the Rhone river basin.