Advantages, limitations and perspectives of webmapping for emergency management: development of a prototype decision-support platform[Atouts, limites et perspectives de la cartographie en ligne pour la gestion de crise : conception d’un prototype de plateforme d’aide à la décision]

Operational and decision-making needs in emergency management are tending to increase. Indeed, in a context of climate change and growing issues to safeguard, regulatory measures are evolving towards greater requirements. Among these needs, there is a noticeable demand for innovative tools optimized to assist decision-making. This study capitalizes on scientific knowledge regarding the opportunities of geovisualization for emergency management. It also analyzes existing webmapping practices through a multi-criteria analysis grid based on the concepts of ergonomics and interactivity. These observations were a prerequisite for the development of an emergency management support platform based on ArcGIS Online (Esri) solutions. This platform aims to meet the needs of emergency managers and address the limitations of static operational mapping. Additionally, the prototype is optimized based on observed improvements from existing tools. Through a map-centric approach, this innovative solution emphasizes the integration of spatial data, multi-scale cartographic representation, and information sharing while optimizing essential operational functionalities for emergency management. Finally, user experiments, particularly in simulated emergency situations, aim to enhance the tool's decision-support capabilities.