Reference, completed project

POCRISC: for a common culture of seismic risk

BRGM is a partner in the POCRISC project, coordinated by Catalonia’s cartographic and geological institute (ICGC) and which aims to promote a common culture of seismic risk in the Pyrenees.

28 March 2022

Results of the POCRISC project

Le BRGM était partenaire du projet POCRISC, coordonné de 2018 à 2021 par l’Institut Cartographique et Géologique de Catalogne (ICGC), et dont l'objectif était de promouvoir une culture commune du risque sismique dans les Pyrénées. Ce film présente les outils développés dans le cadre de ce projet.

Logo of POCRISC, a project under the POCTEFA INTERREG Programme.

The POCRISC project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which provides 65% of its funding, under the V-A Spain-France-Andorra Programme (POCTEFA 2014–2020) brought together ten partners for three years (2018–2021) in France, Spain and Andorra, and seven associate partners.

The project falls under Theme 2 of the POCTEFA programme: “Promoting adaptation to climate change, and risk prevention and management”.

A joint project to promote greater consistency in the tools and practices used by cross-border services

The project concerned the cross-border area between Catalonia in Spain, Occitanie in France and Andorra.

The POCRISC project focused on promoting a common culture of seismic risk in the Pyrenees through:

developing shared approaches to risk evaluation across prevention services;
helping disseminate information to all the local authorities concerned and the general public;
providing decision-making tools tailored to the needs of emergency management teams.

Shakemap - Automatic macroseismic intensity map of the 16 January 2021 earthquake in the Girona area, with a magnitude of 3.4.

Results of the project

Within the framework of the POCRISC project, various tools were developed:

To anticipate risks: measurement of vibrations in key buildings and production of numerical models to assess their potential resistance to possible earthquakes, and recommendations to reduce their vulnerability;
To react during an earthquake: an online service of automatic maps of ground movements or "shakemaps" following moderate or major earthquakes in the Pyrenees, implementation of a full-scale crisis exercise coordinated by BRGM;
To preserve, after the earthquake: development of methods to assess the state of buildings and the severity of earthquakes, as well as a smartphone application for the assessment of post-seismic damage, developed by DeveryWare with the other partners.

All the project deliverables were implemented through the collaborative efforts of cross-border rescue services, including French, Catalan and Andorran civil protection partners. The project outcomes can then be scaled up to the whole of the Pyrenees region.

An earthquake simulation exercise in the Hautes-Pyrénées

As part of the European POCRISC project, in which BRGM was a partner and which aims to promote a common culture for managing seismic risks in the Pyrenees, a simulated event was organised around the town of Tarbes on 19 November 2021. A look back at this life-size exercise coordinated by BRGM.

PROCRISC project activities.

BRGM’s expertise supports the development of the Pyrenees region

The objective of this POCTEFA project is to strengthen economic and social development of the trans-border area between France, Spain and Andorra. It focuses on the development of cross-border economic, social and environmental activities using joint strategies that promote sustainable spatial planning and development in the area.

Through activities jointly coordinated by its Regional Activities Division and its Risks and Prevention Division, BRGM contributes its experience and expertise in earth sciences to the project, particularly with regard to the assessment of seismic hazard, vulnerability and risk in the Pyrenees region.