Territorial Accessibility and Decision-Making Structure Related to Debris Flow Impacts on Roads in the French Alps

Marina Utasse; Vincent Jomelli; Delphine Grancher; Frederic Leone; Daniel Brunstein; Clement Virmoux

doi:10.1007/s13753-016-0088-3

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Disaster Risk Science > 2016 > 7(2): 186-197

Marina Utasse, Vincent Jomelli, Delphine Grancher, Frederic Leone, Daniel Brunstein, Clement Virmoux. Territorial Accessibility and Decision-Making Structure Related to Debris Flow Impacts on Roads in the French Alps[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2016, 7(2): 186-197. doi: 10.1007/s13753-016-0088-3

Citation:

Marina Utasse, Vincent Jomelli, Delphine Grancher, Frederic Leone, Daniel Brunstein, Clement Virmoux. Territorial Accessibility and Decision-Making Structure Related to Debris Flow Impacts on Roads in the French Alps[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2016, 7(2): 186-197. doi: 10.1007/s13753-016-0088-3

Citation:

Marina Utasse, Vincent Jomelli, Delphine Grancher, Frederic Leone, Daniel Brunstein, Clement Virmoux. Territorial Accessibility and Decision-Making Structure Related to Debris Flow Impacts on Roads in the French Alps[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2016, 7(2): 186-197. doi: 10.1007/s13753-016-0088-3

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Territorial Accessibility and Decision-Making Structure Related to Debris Flow Impacts on Roads in the French Alps

doi: 10.1007/s13753-016-0088-3

1 UMR LGP:Laboratoire de Géographie Physique, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne/8591 CNRS, Meudon, France;
2 UMR GRED:Gouvernance, Risque, Environnement, Développement, Université Montpellier/IRD, Montpellier, France

Funds:

The work described in this article was supported by the project Eranet Circle-Mountain Arnica “Assessment of Risks on transportation Networks resulting from slope Instability and Climate change in the Alps.” This support is gratefully acknowledged. We would like to express special thanks to the Restauration des Terrains de Montagne in the district of Hautes-Alpes for allowing us to use their database. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the reviewers for their helpful comments and their effort to improve and clarify this manuscript.

Available Online: 2021-04-26

Abstract

Abstract

The Alps are highly impacted by debris flows that cause major problems for companies and transport networks located in the valley bottoms. One such event occurred in the Rif Blanc catchment and affected the road network in the French Alps, as well as adjacent areas across the Italian border, for several days in June 2012. This article presents two independent approaches to vulnerability assessment. Based on investigations conducted during a survey of local authorities following the event, we compared theoretical risk management and real crisis management in terms of decision making and modes of intervention. Functional vulnerability and territorial consequences were analyzed using a best travel time model of accessibility. We show that a bottom-up approach is practiced in case of actual management planning with a central coordination of general council. Conversely theoretical crisis management shows prefect as the key actor supported by several other state institutions. Our analysis also revealed that a debris flow event with a local impact on the road network has territorial consequences at a regional scale. This study contributes to the discussion about how to minimize the vulnerability of alpine transport networks prone to debris flows. Our results could serve as a decision support tool for public authorities.
- Crisis management,
- Debris flows,
- French Alps,
- Road network vulnerability

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References(46)

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