Guillaume Piton – Researcher in torrential hydraulics, ETNA unit, INRAE(testimonial from the “30 years of research for flood prevention” dossier – 2022)
“I started out as a hydraulic engineer in a design office, but now I’m conducting research into torrential flooding involving the transport of sediment and floating wood, and into strategies for protecting against the associated risks. Storm Alex in 2020 caused major flooding and damage linked to sediment transport in the Maritime Alps. The DGPR immediately mobilised IGN to take aerial images and a Lidar survey, as well as Cerema, ONF-RTM and INRAE to provide feedback on this rare disaster. These analyses enabled us to improve our knowledge of sediment and float transport during extreme floods and to inform post-flood reconstruction. In this spirit of continuous improvement, the DGPR supports research for action and INRAE, both in our fundamental work on torrential rivers and in our more operational actions. In addition to publications, I contribute to the drafting of guides and notes for government departments and technicians, such as the guide to drawing up risk prevention plans for torrential rivers.
Testimonial from our thematic dossier
Thematic dossier
30 years of research into flood prevention
The risk of flooding is the leading natural hazard in France in terms of impact and extent. As experts in water-related risks, six INRAE scientific teams are helping to implement flood prevention policy. They are working on tools and methods for forecasting and preventing this risk, which are presented in this dossier.
