The 6th edition of the Hérault municipalities and intermunicipalities fair was held this Friday, September 27 at the Parc-Expo in Béziers. This meeting was an opportunity to present innovative solutions, particularly in the fight against illegal construction and monitoring and prevention of weather risks on crops. We take stock.
Houses, cabins, yurts, tents, swimming pools or even garden sheds, the services of the Hérault prefecture estimate at 30,000 the number of illegal constructions identified over time in agricultural, forestry or at-risk areas, unbuildable in sum. “In Hérault, there are more illegal constructions than social housing. The department is experiencing a significant influx of population, 15,000 new inhabitants per year, and the poverty rate pushes some to circumvent the rules to find housing,” reports the prefect of the Hérault, François Xavier Lauch.
The key figures from the DDTM in the fight against cabanization in 2023
62 municipalities are signatories to the departmental charter to combat cabanization. 3,412 ha were consumed between 2010 and 2020, or 0.6% of the department’s surface area. 65% of constructions are for housing and 22% for activity. 80% of the surface area consumed comes from agricultural areas. The Hérault department welcomed 141,863 additional inhabitants between 2011 and 2021.
If town planning falls under the responsibility of mayors, municipalities are not always designed to meet this challenge. Faced with the phenomenon, which no longer affects only the coastline but also the hinterland, the prefecture wants effective actions, before there is a statute of limitations and the constructions are unassailable.
“The faster we act, the sooner the mayor issues an administrative response, the more we avoid the development of illegal construction. Once built, it is very complicated to demolish and it costs state services. In the department, we only manage to destroy two properties per year. argues the Prefect of Hérault, who came to attend the presentation of two innovative tools.
Two innovative software programs, Lucca and Aigle, serving municipalities
“We are here to support mayors in identifying illegal construction, they are on the front line, but they are not alone.” On its stand at the entrance to Hall 1 of the Exhibition Center, the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea (DDTM) presented several tools in the fight against cabanization.
The first, Aigle, is software that relies on maps annual, seen from the sky, in order to estimate the situation of the territory. “Instead of going to identify it yourself, following a report, we stay in the office, we prioritize, then we control, explains Benjamin Labail of the DDTM 34, the other innovative software, Lucca, is a very popular legal tool. After a visit, we inject the report into this software, it will be followed and shared by the communities, until being transmitted to the judicial authority. In addition, and for more details, state services in the department also use a drone.
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Agri Predict, a tool to anticipate climatic events
Another innovation, Agri Predict, was presented at the Hérault mayors’ fair, in the field of climate risk prevention, aimed at farmers and elected officials.
“A unique system in France and a pioneer”describes Alix Roumagnac, president of Predict, a Montpellier-based company specializing in the evaluation and monitoring of meteorological events. This system, operational since April 2021, is based on the massive collection of agronomic and environmental data that the algorithm processes to provide reliable forecasts and precise recommendations to farmers. “Predict’s job is to give an early warning for people’s safety and property in order to anticipate as quickly as possible”he argues.
SMS and e-mail alerts to farmers and municipalities
Thanks to this solution, farmers can not only anticipate climate variations but also make informed decisions on crop management, the use of agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides), and the optimization of resources such as water. .
To do this, Predict works in collaboration with communities and the Chamber of Agriculture to follow weather forecast models. When these models identify an imminent climate event, a briefing is organized to assess the situation.
If necessary, a targeted information campaign is launched to farmers via SMS and email to provide them with advice. “The important thing is to be in tune with the development of the plant depending on the season and the event, so as not to issue alerts untimely otherwise it can be counterproductive”underlines Renaud Lachenal, project manager of the Hérault Chamber of Agriculture.
Make “fairer” decisions
A four-handed effort between Predict and the Chamber of Agriculture. “Many farmers have told me that this device allows them to make more accurate decisions based on different weather information that they could collect on the Internet“, he explains.
This tool also convinces the mayors of the department who find it very useful. “It allows me to alert all my elected officials, to tell them to be vigilant and to be ready to travel knowing what everyone must do”says Claude Valero, mayor of Paulhan who uses Agri Predict for flood possibilities.
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