IWRA Proceedings

Abstract"Predict’s experience of assistance of local communities for flood management» Project description : To face repeated flood crisis, especially in south of France, BRL, EADS Astrium, in association with Meteo France, developed the initiative Predict to help local communities to better anticipate and manage flood crisis. In the crossing of the géo-information stemming from the space technology, communication, meteorology, hydraulics and hydrology, Predict brings help to local communities in their mission of protection and information to the citizens,in the face of flood problems. Problem definition : For several years, as floods were increasing, BRL, was sought by local governments for assistance in flood management ( BRL is a regional development company, a public private partnership controlled by the local gouvernments of the Languedoc-Roussillon Region). These local communities felt deprive to assume their mission of protection and information of citizens. Towards a solution / Approach : The Predict initiative proposes to help in the management and anticipation of floods based on a better upstream knowledge, the follow-up in real time of crisis and the post analysis crisis of the phenomenon. Based on a computer platform, allied to the most modern technologies, notably satellite and radar, this initiative allows, according to the forecasts of rainfall, to gain precious minutes in the application of the community safety plans. As a complement to the services supplied by the State, it also offers communities localized and operational information which allows them to better anticipate and improve management of crisis situations. The Predict’s method is organized around four axes : - Knowledge of the stakes and vulnerability of the different components in a municipal territory, for a better protection, - floods anticipation and assistance to the crisis management, - analysis of floods effects - capitalization of knowledge for the preservation of a risk consciousness. Results / outcomes : This service is actually developed in the south of France. Predict has prepared emergency plans to organize crisis management and reduce risks, helped and assisted communities during crisis, to activate and adapt their emergency plans with enough of anticipation. The initiative has been functioning with more than one hundred of southern cities. The communication will present the experience return. This initiative is developped in dialogue with State services as Météo France, the Ministry for the interior, the Ministry for ecology and the durable development, the Regional Direction of the Environment (DIREN), the Central service of Hydrometeorology and Support to the Forecast of the Floods ( SCHAPI) and service of forecast of rising (SPC). Conclusion/recommendations: Central questions are: "What is the problem? How do you want to solve them? What can be (potential) barriers? On with parts you might need assistance? What goals do you want to reach? The fact is that physical protection is necessary but inevitably limited. Tools and structures of assistance to anticipation are slightly developed. To manage repeated crisis, local authorities need to be able to base their flood policy on prevention, warnings, post-crisis analysis and feedback from former experience. The feedback of Predict initiative presents how to prepare emergency plans to organize crisis management and reduce risks, to help and assist communities during crisis to activate and adapt their emergency plans with enough of anticipation, to analyse floods effects and improve emergency plans afterwards. Contacts : Predict - Services CAP OMEGA Rond Point Benjamin Franklin CS 39521 34960 Montpellier Cedex 02 France Mister Alix Roumagnac President of Predict Services Tel : +33 (0)4 67 13 01 63 Email : alix.roumagnac@brl.fr Miss Karine Moreau Responsible to the development of Predict’s initiative Tel : +33(0)4 67 13 01 64 Email : karine.moreau@brl.fr