As the French Geological Survey, BRGM has a worldwide expertise in all aspects of Earth sciences. Its activities include scientific research, support to public policy development and international cooperation. Building on geology as its core competence, BRGM develops expert knowledge in resource management, risk management and innovative ecotechnologies.

BRGM conducts research and expert studies on the main coastal risks at different scales (individual, multi-annual, local and global):

• Coastal erosion;
• Marine submersion of low-lying zones, as a result of hydrometeorological events such as storms and hurricanes, or induced by tsunamis.

Because these phenomena are occurring in the context of climate change, BRGM also investigates the consequences of global changes such as sea-level rise or changes in wave and current patterns.

Through numerous and various projects, the R3C unit (Coastal Risks and Climate Change) as developed its expertise on numerical modelling of waves, currents, water level and marine inundation until hazards and risks analysis and mapping (coordination of FP7 projects MIA-VITA, MOVE, ENSURE, MATRIX; ANR projets MISEEVA, VULSACO, CECILE; and public policy development projects ARAI, PPRL Aquitaine, etc.). The BRGM also led or participated to several projects on French Overseas Territories (Caribbean islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, La Reunion and Mayotte) regarding on cyclone induced inundation hazard assessment.