Analysis of tsunami evacuation maps for a consensual symbolization rules proposal

Abstract

ABSTRACTPreventing people exposed to natural hazards is a fundamental lever to reduce their vulnerability and the associated risk. In this context, evacuation maps can be considered as a useful tool to educate populations in order to get an appropriate behavior in case of disaster, and to maintain a culture of the risk in exposed areas. Since the catastrophic events in the Indian Ocean and Japan, local initiatives for the creation of tsunami evacuation maps have developed worldwide. However, no clear recommendations for the elaboration of these maps have already been proposed. This lack concerns the methods and rules used to create and represent the information present in the map. So, this article seeks to provide consensual symbolization rules for tsunami evacuation maps. To achieve this objective, a critical analysis was conducted from a sample of 30 tsunami evacuation maps. As a result, major trends and recurring choices have been extracted and compiled in a proposition for symbolization rules. This proposition, which has been implemented on various sites in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, can be seen as a first contribution for the harmonization of tsunami evacuation maps, in order to provide a universal cartographic language for exposed populations.