International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: OiEau is committed to building more resilient territories

Established by the United Nations in 1989, this day forms part of the objectives of the Sendai Framework 2015–2030, which promotes a better understanding of climate-related risks, as well as strengthened governance and investment in this area. This year’s chosen theme highlights the need to ensure the protection of homes, which depends as much on spatial planning policies and the management of natural resources as it does on raising awareness amongst as many people as possible of the risks to which they are exposed

Given the magnitude of these costs and the necessity of investing in prevention, OiEau actively contributes to deploying field projects to strengthen cooperation and regional resilience:

• The Bio-Plateaux II project, led by OiEau, aims to foster cooperation and the sharing of data, information and experiences amongst local stakeholders from French Guiana, Brazil and Suriname living in the Maroni and Oyapock basins in South America, in order to better anticipate floods, droughts and pollution.
• The AMO project is based on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at the basin level. By managing the resource from its source, this approach enables risks, such as flooding, to be anticipated upstream in order to better protect downstream areas. The project aim is to strengthen resilience to climate change in the Congo Basin through the development of water information systems for decision-makers and users.

Risk reduction begins with a better understanding of natural phenomena and their consequences for local areas.

To this end, OiEau helps to make the scientific and technical knowledge necessary for the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies accessible through various projects:

• The Explore2 project enables local stakeholders to better understand changes in river flow rates and the risks of water scarcity. Its mission is to update knowledge on the impact of climate change by providing baseline hydro-climatic projections at national level up to 2100 (aligned with the +4°C Warming Trajectory).
• The European LIFE Water&Climate project, coordinated by OiEau, aims to design, fund and disseminate decision-support tools to make the scientific data from Explore2 accessible, useful and understandable to all. It provides public decision-makers and managers with recommendations and educational resources to better integrate the effects of climate change into regional water management strategies.

Planning for the future also concerns economic stakeholders. OiEau supports industry in identifying their water footprint, including their water-related vulnerabilities, securing their water supplies, optimising their water use and managing their discharges.

This support is embodied in particular through the roll-out of the Management of Aquatic Environments and Flood Prevention (GEMAPI) scheme, as well as through soil de-sealing and Integrated Stormwater Management (GIEP), via training courses dedicated to preventing the risk of river flooding and to the development and regeneration of urban flood-prone areas.

OiEau also promotes Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which include Natural Water Retention Measures (MNRE). By preserving or restoring the natural functions of ecosystems, these solutions help to strengthen the capacity of soils and aquatic environments to retain, infiltrate and gradually release water.

• The SpongeScapes project intends to improve knowledge on how "sponge measures" function and to evaluate their contribution to mitigating the effects of floods and droughts.
• The SpongeWorks project supports the large-scale deployment of these measures across several European river basins. In particular, OiEau is involved in implementing a demonstrator site in the Lèze river basin (France) and in sharing feedback and lessons learned.
• The NATALIE project, coordinated by OiEau, brings together European partners around the development and demonstration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to build territorial resilience to climate change.
• The OPTAIN  project aims to identify, optimise and deploy natural water retention measures (MNRE) in agricultural basins across Europe to better retain and reuse water and nutrients and prevent conflicts over water use.

This 2026 edition serves as a reminder that the protection of homes and communities is built at all levels: from individual dwellings to basins, including neighbourhoods and local authorities. It requires the joint mobilisation of public authorities, economic stakeholders, scientists and citizens. By combining technical expertise, support for public policy, innovation and knowledge transfer, OiEau helps to make risk prevention and adaptation to climate change concrete levers for action towards more resilient territories.