Case study for river flood defence strategies. Site is in French, suitable for most of my students as they have French as a second or first language. Google Translate may come in handy otherwise.

1. Protecting Toulouse from Flooding.
A joint French / Geography Investigation
Aim: To find out how Toulouse is protecting itself from another 1875 flooding disaster.
Log on to your laptop computers and go to the following website.
http://www.toulouse-inondation.org/index.html
This site is in the French language so you will need to use all your literacy and language
skills (or Google Translate for those who are not too confident) to complete these activities.
Click on La Garonne.
Summarise, in less than 50 words the main features of the river Garonne in this region.
Draw a brief sketch map of the Garonne drainage
Basin around the Haute Garonne area.
When is the flow of the Garonne at its peak?
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When is the flow at its lowest?
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How many tributaries join the Garonne in the
Toulouse region?
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2. Read the information under this section and comment on why Toulouse was originally built
so close to the river Garonne.
Click on Le Crues.
Study the chart above carefully and read the text on the website. Summarise the events of
some of the flood events shown above in Toulouse.

3. Click on Le Risque on the tab menu
Read over the general information on flooding on this page but more specifically regarding
flooding in Toulouse towards the bottom of the page.
Click on the flood simulation for L’Avenue de Muret. In a repeat flood
event in Toulouse, what would be the effects on the town? How fast
would the water spread?
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Click on Prevenir on the tab menu.
What is a PPRI?
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Outline three main features of the PPRI in attempting to manage the risk of flooding in
Toulouse. You may want to watch the video or Mr Bur to help you.
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Click on Se Protéger on the tab menu
Read the information then explain how each feature helps to reduce the flood risk.

4. Name the feature and explain how it works.
Name the feature and explain how it works.
Name the feature and explain
how it works.

5. Click on the interactive map and have a virtual tour around the Garonne in Toulouse
looking carefully at the different protection methods in place. Comment on the number and
variety of flooding protection measures in place in the city. How many have you seen
before?
Click on Réagir on the tab menu.
Read over the text on this page and watch the video of Mr Cohen – Mayor of Toulouse.
Outline the measures available to the Mayor’s Office of Toulouse in preparing and
informing residents in case of a flood event in the city.
What is the advice for the following?
Before the rise in water During the rise in water After the high water has passed