1. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum1 Natural disaster management in France : prevention et reconstruction Claude Martinand – Vice-president Conseil Général des Ponts et Chaussées Presentation plan I – Great disasters occured in France II – Prevention of great disasters III – Repairing, rebuilding et urban redevelopment IV – Urbanization behind levees V – The example of repairing and rebuilding after the september 2002 flood in Gard « county »

2. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum2 Natural disaster management in France : prevention and reconstruction I – Great disasters occured in France I.1 - Great natural disasters Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development seriousness scale : 6 classes from « incident » to « major disaster » Since the beginning of 20th century, in France :  4 major disasters rated class 5 (more than 1000 deaths and/or more than 3 billion euros damages)  30 disasters rated classe 4 (more than 100 deaths and/or more than 300 million euros damages)  some fifty very serious accidents rated classe 3 (more than 10 deaths and/or more than 30 million euros damages) Towards the mid- 19th century, two major earthquakes in Martinique and Guadeloupe islands (French West Indies) I-2 – Great technological disasters Over the last fifty years, in France :  3 great technological disasters  2 major dam accidents  one disaster linked to transport of not very dangerous substances

3. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum3 Natural disaster management in France : prevention and reconstruction II – Prevention of great disasters II.1 – Hazards and risks knowledge II.2 – Preventive information of population II.3 – Vulnerability reduction III.4 - Surveillance and warning systems III.5 – Crisis planification and management

4. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum4 Natural disaster management in France : prevention and reconstruction III – Repairing, rebuilding and urban redevelopment III.1 – Rebuilding rights restriction III.2 – Financial aids for repairing and rebuilding III.3 - Measures to adapt land-use regulation and to facilitate urban redevelopment

5. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum5 Natural disaster management in France : prevention and reconstruction IV – Urbanization behind levees IV.1 – Levees and protected areas inventory IV.2 – Liabity and consequences in case of levee breaching IV.3 – Levee supervision organization IV.4 – State flood prevention policy In case of flood or submersion risks, two principles :  Prohibit new construction in high hazard zones  Avoid any new levee or embankment work In areas protected by levees, new constructions can be authorized only in urbanized sectors subject to six conditions Additional requirements recommended by an interdepartmental task force

6. 7 to 9 March 2007New Orleans Forum6 Natural disaster management in France : prevention and reconstruction V – The example of repairing and rebuilding after the september 2002 flood in Gard « county » V.1 – Characteristics of the 8 and 9 september 2002 flood in Gard « county » V.2 – Cost estimation of levees and other works repairing V.3 - Measures to help rehousing and repairing of damaged houses and appartments V.4 – Other financial aids V.5 – Improvement of flood protection level : the Vidourle Plan Development project of the low part of Vidourle valley estimated some 40 million euros to :  secure levees from breaching  manage better flood spreading and water discharge  protect urban centers V.6 - Relocation of houses or appartments and commercial or industrial premises and classification as no building zone of the disaster-stricken area : the example of the town of Collias