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abstract 121

Predict's experience of assistance of local communities for flood management.

Author(s): Alix Roumagnac
President of PREDICT Services S.A.S.: An initiative to help communities to prevent flood crisis

Keyword(s): Risk Management; flood management; feedback from communities; prevention; anticipation; integrated solution

Article:

Poster:

Session: OS4g Risk management 1

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

Events

The congress

Programme

Practical Infos

Predict's experience of assistance of local communities for flood management.