INUNDA - Actions pilote de prévention des risques d'inondation dans des zones fortement urbanisées
Floods cause extensive human and material damage so are amongst the greatest natural risks for the EU. There were more than 181 large floods on the continent between 1971 and 2001. Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and several countries in Eastern Europe have suffered from the devastating effects of floods. Overall objective / Objectif général To provide authorities with criteria and alternatives for action that will minimise human and material losses caused by floods in heavily built-up basins. The initiative, proposed as an independent project for cooperation, aims to create an appropriate framework for transmitting among different authorities a methodology which, after adaptation and testing in a pilot area for each partner, should improve quality of life for their inhabitants. Expected results / Résultats attendus The expected results are improved professional qualifications and the use of reliable anti-flooding tools based on the dissemination of the INUNDA products: One edition of 500 copies of the methodology, to be distributed among public administrations, universities, etc.; One edition of 2,000 copies of the regulation, programme of actions and good practices, to be distributed among administrations, universities, consultancies and professionals in the sector; One edition of 5,000 copies of specific maps to be distributed among the above-mentioned parties and the general public; 100 participants in local seminars open to the public and 300 participants in the transnational seminar, also to be open to the public. In the long term, if the appropriate administrations approve the regulations and carry out the investments laid down in the programme of action for the standard areas prone to flooding that have been analysed, the impact could be similar to that for other areas where the original methodology has been successfully adopted. In these, a 30-40% reduction was achieved in the human and material damage caused by flooding.