The NaTech Risks project: anticipating technological crises in urban environments
The NaTech Risks project, funded by the “Risques (IRiMa)” programme, aims to mobilise scientific knowledge to anticipate and assess complex technological crisis situations likely to result from accidents induced by natural events. With climate change, the frequency and intensity of natural hazards are increasing, leading to a rise in technological accidents, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.
The main objective of the targeted NaTech Risks project is to develop, on the basis of event scenarios, methodological tools and models to assess and quantify these risks. The project focuses on urban and peri-urban territories, where population density and industrial facilities make these challenges particularly critical.
A seminar to structure intervention scenarios
On 1 April 2025, around forty participants—including project partners and territorial stakeholders (local authorities, local information commissions, elected officials’ associations)—gathered at the research institute of the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ASNR) in Fontenay-aux-Roses. The purpose of the seminar was to frame the development of NaTech scenarios and to define an action plan for exchanges with the targeted territories.
The morning was devoted to presentations on the concept of scenarios, scenario-based approaches, hazard and crisis management studies, as well as testimonials from territorial actors. The afternoon, organised as workshops, enabled collective reflection on the objectives of the scenarios, stakeholder expectations and the methodologies to be adopted.
Workshops: feedback and perspectives
- Workshop 1: objectives and expectations
Participants external to the project expressed a strong need for pedagogy, transparency and involvement of civil society. Project members, for their part, emphasised the importance of an integrative and systemic approach, notably incorporating feedback from experience.
- Workshop 2: needs and limitations of current approaches
Discussions highlighted the need for clear objectives, for moving beyond traditional frameworks, and for improved communication with all stakeholders. A systemic approach, taking into account climate change and multi-risk scenarios, was considered essential.
- Workshop 3: methodology and organisation
This workshop addressed the identification and inclusion of territorial stakeholders. Participants emphasised the difficulty of classifying actors’ roles according to different approaches (prevention, preparedness versus crisis management) and the need for a shared narrative to move forward.
The seminar laid the foundations for strengthened collaboration between scientists and territorial stakeholders. Discussions resulted in an action plan to initiate exchanges and work with the territories targeted by the project. This seminar marks a key milestone for the NaTech project, paving the way for improved anticipation and management of technological crises in urban environments.