Abstract
Since the creation of the Conservatoire du Littoral (1975) and the government’s stance on climate change, coastal risks have been approached differently, depending on whether they are considered as unpredictable « natural risks » or as the results of a gradual and therefore expectant evolution. The result is a ramification of complex public action in coastal management, which this article analyses showing interaction between categories of stakeholder groups (central government, local and territorial elected officials, scientific experts, local populations, etc.). The multiplicity of regulatory and planning tools, shown by the situation of some municipalities on the Languedoc coast, is also discussed