Stratégie globale de réduction des risques d'inondation en Loire moyenne - démarche intégrée de prévention du plan Loire

A global strategy for reducing flood risks ln the medium Loire valley

Etat, EPALA, Agence de l'eau Loire Bretagne, Equipe pluridisciplinaire plan Loire grandeur nature

Abstract

In order to ensure flood control in the Loire valley, riparians of the river have built 600 km of dikes. But many times in the past, the river has had huge floods which destroyed 25% of the dikes and flooded 300 000 ha. So the people do accept to let the flood come into the flood-prone area to reduce the power of the stream. The protection is reinforced with a first dam builded in 1984. Because of the 300 000 inhabitants and 14 000 companies settled in the floodprone area and the cost of the damage evaluated 7 billions US$, the river basin authorities decided to define a strategy to reduce the damages of the flood. A multipurpose study is being completed. It indicates the need of mitigation to reduce damage. Mitigation needs to restore a particular way of life, a culture of life in the flood-prone area and also to define a special program of intervention to predict the flood, to inform the local authorities and to manage the crises during the flood and after it.