Brice Anselme

Perception of the risk of tsunami in a context of high-level risk assessment and management: the case of the fjord Lyngen in Norway

BackgroundNorth Norway, the banks of the fjord Lyngen are highly exposed to a rockslide tsunami hazard. However, the local municipality believes that the coastal community is well-informed about the risk and ready to evacuate, should a warning be issued. Accordingly, the social survey we conducted in this municipality was a matter of exploring three main questions: is the Lyngen population well-informed about the tsunami risk in general and about the potential evacuation time in particular? Is the local population as confident as the local municipality hope? Is there enough information on the tsunami risk for tourists, given their growing number?.ResultsThe survey shows that the local population has a clear perception of the tsunami hazard, but that warning and evacuation conditions are not sufficiently well-known, despite the local and national communication work. Moreover confidence in the municipal authorities seems to be imperfect, although confidence concerning hazard surveillance is higher than confidence in the information provided on risk and management. As often, tourists are less informed on natural hazards or evacuation conditions.ConclusionsThe municipal authorities have to improve the information locally delivered. Authorities must also disseminate information to the tourists, especially on a possible evacuation during their stay, so as not to raise anxiety or trigger a decline in the areas touristic appeal.

Guideline for Groundwater Resource Management Using the GIS Tools in Arid to Semi Arid Climate Regions

Food security emerged as an issue in the first decade of the 21st Century, questioning the sustainability of the human race, which is inevitably related directly to the agricultural water management that has multifaceted dimensions and requires interdisciplinary expertise in order to be dealt with.

Coastal Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise on Tahiti Island, French Polynesia

The Pacific islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability. Adaptation to climate change and variability is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks. Climate-related risks are not new to Pacific islands local government planners and resource and hazard managers. Climate change will, by and large, not create new risks, but may change the frequency and intensity of existing risks and hazards, as well as introducing some long-term shifts in climate regimes across the country. Adapting to long-term climate change will also contribute to our resilience to natural fluctuations of sea level. Planning to address the effects of climate change is most likely to be effective and cost-efficient if it is integrated into local governments standard work programme, rather than treated in isolation. Based on GIS and on cell by cell spatial modelling techniques and survey investigations, our study aims at assessing coastal vulnerability to sea level rise on Tahiti island, French Polynesia.