Abstract :
[en] Wind is one the most damaging natural hazard that forests are facing worldwide and in Europe. Destructive storms lead to severe forest damage and consequently cause disruptions in daily forest management and timber supply chains. Major dysfunctions can happen at each step of forest-wood chains and at each level of management, leading to huge economic losses and long-lasting crises within public organisations and private companies. In this context, the first part of this work aims at handling those complex and multi-facetted storm-related issues with new approaches in order to mitigate economic, environmental and societal impacts of storms on the forest-based sector. In a first step, an overview of risk management practices in forestry is presented, as well as major determinants of storm damage risk management. SWOT analyses are also used for highlighting main issues and opportunities in current windthrow management process. In a second step, an integrated framework is proposed for tackling those strategic issues and seizing opportunities arising from the uncertain decision-making context. A systemic perspective is also presented for managing storm damage risk at regional, national or supranational level with a holistic perspective. In regards to those original approaches, the thesis also highlights some of the crucial challenges public authorities might address for enhancing their affectivity in this process. In the second part of the manuscript, three particular aspects of storm damage management are considered: contingency planning, the development of decision-supporting tools for the forest community, and timber storage planning at the regional level. Those topics are illustrated by case studies taking place in Wallonia, Belgium. In particular, the development of a model-based decision support system (DSS) illustrate how systemic analysis can help on the one hand designing balanced strategies for the regional forest-based sector in case of severe wind damage and on the other hand identifying bottlenecks that should be solved before the next huge storm to enhance systemic resilience and resistance. Regarding timber conservation, a GIS-based methodology for locating optimal areas for sprinkling storage at the regional scale is presented, together with an applied study on the influence of anaerobic storage process on the quality of spruce logs. From a wider perspective, this thesis reveals that taking decision under uncertainty will remain a key challenge to address in forestry, especially in the context of climatic change. However, original methodologies focusing on systemic and integrated risk management approaches can help in this effort. Finally, the work emphasises the urgent need of effective risk management policies at regional, national, and international levels to guide researchers, forest managers and industrials.
