Prevention: Major natural risks emergency declared in Overseas

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The senatorial delegation to Overseas on major natural risks in Overseas ensures a mission on Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy within the framework of the second part of their study on reconstruction and resilience.

Chaired by Senator Magras, it is made up of Senator Arnell, coordinating rapporteur, and Senators Hassani and Rapin. This component follows on from their previous mission in April 2018 on crisis and emergency management.

The main recommendations of the rapporteurs:

• Massively unlock the currently underused Barnier fund

The Barnier fund, a fundamental financial tool for the prevention of major natural risks, is today too inaccessible to local authorities overseas for their projects:

- Relax the conditions of eligibility and mobilization of the Barnier fund and revisit the capping of its resources

- Quickly unlock arrow credits to initiate a quick catch-up 

• Guaranteeing emergency resources and inclusive crisis action

Crisis management suffers from various weaknesses, in particular insufficient warning and intervention resources as well as a lack of clarity and collegiality:

- Systematize training and large-scale exercises

- Engage in a major “siren plan” in overseas territories and provide the territories with sufficient human and civil security resources

- Strengthen the collective dimension of crisis management by associating local communities as closely as possible and relying on active forces such as adapted military service and humanitarian and civil security organizations such as the Red Cross

- Create a "state of emergency natural disaster", a strong signal in the event of a particularly serious threat

• Communicate effectively, ensure reliable information 

Informing populations is a priority in times of natural disaster, which deserves to be reinforced in the digital age and the massive dissemination of false information:

- Increase the presence of prefectures and high commissions on Facebook and Twitter and publicize these accounts

- Reinforce the public service's information mission in times of crisis with the overseas network of France Télévisions, particularly radio, and enhance relations with the local press

- Forge partnerships between the prefectures and associations involved in supporting crisis management by relaying reliable information, such as VISOV or HAND.

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