Co-defining a user-based desirable future for seismic alert systems with stakeholders: application to Martinique, French West Indies

This paper assesses the opportunity to transfer three socio-technical systems ( Forecasting, Earthquake Early Warning, Rapid Response to Earthquakes systems) into operational tools for the territory of Martinique (French West Indies), and more generally for the Lesser Antilles regions. Since we cannot predict earthquakes, it is critical to better anticipate them and thus to save time in enabling timely implementation of appropriate protection measures.

The research design relies on an user-centered approach based on an in-depth three-steps consultation of stakeholders in the territory of Martinique, by implementing (i) an online survey, (ii) a targeted interview with key actors and finally (iii) a workshop bringing together all stakeholders. This sequential consultation approach enables to start from individual considerations and to progressively refine the diagnosis of the applicability of earthquake alerting tools, first for each type of entity, then for the territory as a whole. Coupled with an analysis of international experience in seismic alerting and the regional context of seismic risk governance, this leads to the elaboration of perspectives at three scales: (i) the local scale of Martinique, (ii) the regional scale of the French West Indies on one hand, and of Lesser Antilles on the other, and (iii) the international scale.