The 1910 Paris flood not only produced serious damage but it had
a profound impact on the collective consciousness at the time, bearing in mind the context
of enthusiasm for great industrial progress in which it occurred. It is an event which
always comes up as a reference point when conversation turns to the danger of the river
Seine overflowing, not only as this affects metropolitan Paris but also the whole
Île-de-France region
(1). This is a 100-year flood which had forerunners that had made an
exceptional impact, such as that which occurred in 1658 and preceded other floods that were
substantial, though not as heavy, such as those in 1924 and 1955. And every time when,
within the context of a weather pattern of heavy, prolonged downpours, the Seine begins to
rise above a certain flow level in the normal range, thoughts turn back to 1910 and the
authorities go on the alert. With good reason.
Such concern is actually very understandable. One could pause to
reflect on the extent of the potential damage of a flood such as that in Île-de-France in
1910 on virtually all levels: economic, social, cultural, political, etc., and of course
just in human terms if one bears in mind that the region is really France’s core. It is the
most populated and wealthiest of the 22 administrative regions, bringing together some 19%
of the population of France and accounting for 30% of national GDP (5% of EU’s GDP). The
government, most of the larger companies, and the major decision-making and research centres
are based within this territory, which is also the world’s top tourist destination and
Europe’s second most important focal point for attracting investment.
Against this backdrop, and considering that it is a type of slow
flood, with the waters taking over for up to two months, an event such as the one in 1910
would have seriously disrupted the functioning of the machinery of the state and the
institutions, as well as the financial, commercial and industrial sectors, and essential
services and infrastructure (electricity, transport, water, the food supply,
telecommunications, public safety, education, etc.) Some five million citizens would find
their daily lives significantly affected, especially the 830,000 people living within the
area susceptible to flooding, where 55,700 companies are located. All of this is without
forgetting the major risk faced by a universal and priceless cultural heritage.
In the worst-case scenario the direct economic damage could be
as much as 30 billion euros, while the macroeconomic damage would mean a reduction in GDP
(over a period of about five years) of up to 58.5 billion euros, which amounts to a
cumulative 3%. In such an extreme case the impact on the operations of companies would imply
a toll of 400,000 job-losses.
All of these are reference figures offered in this OECD study to
emphasize the pressing need to establish the suitable strategies and public policy for
action, in order to reduce in this region the flood risk in the medium and long term via
preventive measures, stepping up resilience and reducing vulnerability. This is a goal that
has thus far not been possible to achieve satisfactorily. The fact is that, as the
study says, the great floods in megacities illustrate the difficulties experienced by
societies in striking a balance between development and dealing with the vulnerability
associated with the multifaceted exposure of social and economic stakeholders
Protection-oriented efforts (structural measures) have been made
since 1910, but investments in this sense have not been forthcoming in any great quantity in
recent decades. Meanwhile, vulnerability has been exacerbated by the effect of increasing
development activity, the building of critical infrastructure and the greater
interdependence of all this, as well as the concentration of assets and people.
The book provides an analysis and recommendations regarding
public policy to enhance flood prevention in Île-de-France via the implementation of an
ambitious and coherent strategy to manage flood risk in this territory. There is no shortage
in France of legislation and schemes purpose-designed for the area of prevention, quite
apart from other regulations particularly affecting this region of France, but they will not
be wholly effective or become as efficient as they might be if special emphasis is not
placed on governance.
The fact is that, as the study says, the great floods in megacities illustrate the
difficulties experienced by societies in striking a balance between development and
dealing with the vulnerability associated with the multifaceted exposure of social
and economic stakeholders (page 36).
And if it is to be effective such policy must be based on a
clear definition of the duties and obligations of each of the actors on the stage
(institutions and public bodies on the various levels of government, the private sector and
civil society), as well as on a coordination of these, backed by incentives, yet also
sanctioning, mechanisms. The key points of governance concern the coherence of the legal and
regulatory framework and the mandate of the institutions in the service of an established
strategy in common, as well as the effective coordination and cooperation among the various
stakeholders in executing this.
The second chapter deals with governance, while the third
centres on how to bolster resilience in Île-de-France via prevention, not only through using
structural measures, where the problem of how to finance these has a decisive bearing, but
also non-structural measures, highlighting the importance of awareness of the risk,
evaluating it, disseminating information about it, and fostering a risk culture.
Chapter five is given over to funding efforts to enhance
resilience, mentioning local and national means to do this. Notable among the former is the
scheme for natural catastrophe compensation, created in 1982 and based on a system of
reinsurance managed by CCR (Caisse Céntrale de Réassurance), which is backed by the State
guarantee.
To summarise, this is a study which uses a holistic approach in
examining the problem of managing flood risk in a specific territory, in this case
Île-de-France, but which represents a general challenge for all of the great urban sprawls,
which must find a solution to striking a balance between developing and controlling
vulnerability.
OECD
(2014), Seine Basin, Île-de-France 2014: Resilience to Major Floods, OECD
Publishing.
DOI: 10.1787/9789264208728-en
Number of pages: 220
(Only available in French and English)
