Book excerpt: One of government's key responsibilities is to ensure that large metropolitan areas are resilient to major risks, so as to guarantee the safety and welfare of the public and maintain public confidence. In the light of the Great East Japan Earthquake or the flooding associated with Hurricane Sandy in New York, governments, local authorities and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fragility of major urban centres when faced with a disaster and of the degree to which critical systems are interconnected. Within the framework of global debate on climate change, it is important to question the capacity of cities to adapt to extreme events. Flooding in the region of ãle-de-France onthe scale seen during the historic flood of 1910 could constitute a major shock and pose an unprecedented challenge to public policy. The Greater Paris project provides a unique opportunity to promote good practices in resilience to encourage sustainable development.