Indexes to assess the coastal zone sensitivity to marine pollution: the case of Normandy

Prepared in the framework of the French Polmar-terre oil spill contingency plan, sensitivity atlas must provide a detailed inventory of areas to protect in priority. As their production is under the supervision of local authorities (departement), the available atlases are quite heterogeneous in their formats, their contents and their methods of classification and representation of sites and stakes. This paper is based on the experience acquired while updating three sensitivity atlases of Normandy coastal zone. It aims to provide practical considerations about the standardization of sensitivity atlases and the indexes that are used to assess coastal zone stakes. We hope to contribute to a better integration of contingency plans at interregional scale.Original Abstract: Etablis dans le cadre du volet Polmar-terre des plans Orsec, les atlas de sensibilite des littoraux doivent fournir < un inventaire precis et hierarchise des zones a proteger en priorite >. Les atlas existants sont produits a l'echelle departementale et, de fait, presentent une grande heterogeneite de formats, de contenus ainsi que de methodes de representation et de hierarchisation des enjeux. A partir de l'experience acquise lors de la mise a jour des trois atlas normands, cet article propose des elements de reflexion pour harmoniser les atlas de sensibilite et les indices employes, notamment pour faciliter la preparation des interventions concernant plusieurs departements.