Glossary

French acronyms used on the site and in official documents (risk maps, notary documents, town hall information). The interactive maps are in French: this glossary helps read them.

AZI: Atlas des zones inondables — flood zone atlas: informative map of flooded or floodable areas.
BASOL: Database of polluted sites and soils requiring public action.
BDIFF: French forest fire database (Ministry of Agriculture), recording fires since 2006.
BRGM: French geological survey, which operates the Géorisques website.
CatNat: Natural disaster (catastrophe naturelle): status recognised by an interministerial order published in the Official Journal, giving the right to insurance compensation.
DDRM: Departmental file on major risks, drawn up by the Prefect.
DFCI: Forest fire protection (défense des forêts contre l'incendie): tracks, water points and firefighting facilities.
DICRIM: Municipal information document on major risks, drawn up by the mayor.
EAIP: Approximate envelope of potential floods: the maximum area that could be flooded by rivers or the sea.
EFFIS: European Forest Fire Information System (Copernicus): burnt areas detected by satellite.
GASPAR: National database of risks, prevention plans and natural disaster orders by municipality.
IAL: Buyer and tenant information (information acquéreurs-locataires): mandatory risk statement attached to any sale or rental.
ICPE: Classified installation for environmental protection: a plant or activity that may present hazards or nuisances.
IGN: French national institute of geographic and forest information (national mapping agency).
INSEE: French national statistics institute; the INSEE code identifies each municipality.
JO: Journal officiel — the Official Journal of the French Republic.
OLD: Legal brush clearing obligations (obligations légales de débroussaillement): clearing vegetation around buildings (50 m, up to 100 m) in areas exposed to forest fires.
PCS: Municipal safeguard plan: how the municipality organises itself in a crisis.
PLU: Local urban development plan (zoning rules).
PPR: Risk prevention plan: State document regulating building in exposed areas.
PPRI: Flood risk prevention plan.
PPRIF: Forest fire risk prevention plan.
PPRMT: Ground movement risk prevention plan.
PPRN: Natural risk prevention plan (flood, fire, ground movement, earthquake…).
RGA: Clay shrink-swell: clay soils that shrink in droughts and swell when wet, cracking buildings.
SIS: Soil information sector: land where soil pollution is known.
SUP: Public utility easement: planning constraint annexed to the local plan (an approved PPR is one).
TRI: Area at significant flood risk (EU Floods Directive).