Through the “Flooded environments and life-saving techniques” training course, PIROI is actively preparing Reunion’s population to respond to flood risks. From 11 to 23 April, 240 people – including school students and members of the general public – took part in one of ten whitewater training sessions held at the Marsouins River in Saint-Benoît.
Flooding is one of the most frequent major natural hazards in Reunion. Periods of rain on the island can be exceptionally heavy and put the population in great danger. This is all the more true as one in four of Reunion’s inhabitants lives in a flood-prone area.
Due to these issues, for the past five years PIROI has been spearheading the Inondation, nout kartié lé paré flood awareness project in partnership with the island’s municipalities and intermunicipalities. This project aims to raise public awareness about flood risks in order to reduce vulnerability and make communities more resilient to the issue.
With this goal in mind, PIROI offers training in how to protect oneself from rising floodwaters. The training course “Flooded environments and life-saving techniques” is organised in partnership with the association Rando Aqua Réunion, and covers various additional subjects:
- A theoretical module focuses on scientific knowledge, particularly the specifics of Reunion’s weather and rivers, as well as how to read and understand water movements, etc.
- A practical modulelets participants take part in safe simulations in the Marsouins River, where they can learn about water flow patterns and deal with scenarios similar to those encountered in real-life situations.
participants
Course participants included residents of flood-prone neighbourhoods, disaster risk management stakeholders, municipal and intermunicipal employees, volunteer workers, and secondary school students.
Training course organised in partnership with Rando Aqua Réunion and thanks to backing from the Reunion Island Prefecture.