A look back at the 2nd meeting on "Adapting to Climate Change"

The second meeting on climate change adaptation was held on October 15th in Saint-Estèphe. The event was a great success, with over 70 participants taking part in a rich and engaging program. The Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park thus confirms its role as a driving force behind climate change adaptation efforts across the region.

A local dynamic that is strengthening

At the first meeting held on April 16 in Cussac, the Park shared the results of its vulnerability assessment of the region in the face of climate change. Following this, the meeting on October 15 brought together a large audience of elected officials, technical experts, and representatives from various associations to continue their collective reflection on the challenges of adaptation and to discover a range of concrete actions. Adaptation concerns all areas, and the participants reflected this diversity : water management, land-use planning, agriculture, forestry, tourism, biodiversity, and more. This cross-sectoral approach is essential for meaningful discussions. The presence of the sub-prefect of Nontron also reaffirmed the State's commitment to this significant challenge.

Draw inspiration from exemplary actions

One of the day's objectives was to facilitate networking among participants and identify exemplary initiatives that could serve as inspiration. To this end, the Park issued a call for participation, which resulted in the presentation of 13 exemplary projects at a "showcase of best practices ." These initiatives are led by various stakeholders, including inter-municipal authorities, unions, associations and collectives, and the Park itself. This interactive format provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the work already being done and to inspire the rest of the region.

Greening a schoolyard, supporting farms to better take into account biodiversity, renovation advice for individuals, training elected officials, restoring wetlands… To find out more, see all the actions presented here: download the document.

Discover solutions on the ground

With the aim of making adaptation operational and helping the region get started, the Park also offered four themed visits, providing opportunities for discussion and discovery. Participants visited: the Cluzeau Farm in Piégut-Pluviers to learn about adaptation initiatives on a livestock farm ; a restored pond area in Saint-Estèphe, converted into a wetland to address water scarcity; and a private forest managed using mixed forestry with continuous canopy in Saint-Martial-de-Valette. The fourth visit took the form of a discussion in a meeting room to present prospective studies of the town centers of Nontron, Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert, and Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière in the face of climate change. These studies allow elected officials to define a 15-year vision for the municipality to ensure the long-term coherence of development projects, integrating climate change considerations.

Outlook for 2026

The work is far from over to ensure the Périgord-Limousin region is adapted to the climate of 2050. The Park aims to continue the momentum already underway to define a shared direction , foster creativity, and ensure that future climate considerations are better integrated into projects. Some avenues of work under consideration include: defining a list of plant and tree species to avoid for planting, creating a training program for newly elected officials following the 2026 elections, launching a program to green schoolyards, studying developments in the tourism sector, and working more closely with local residents. These initiatives will require collaboration and funding to be implemented effectively.

To conclude the day, Jean-François Louineau from the Nouvelle Aquitaine Region reminded everyone of the importance of taking a step back and remaining humble because "There is no single, solitary solution to adapt, but rather solutions to collectively succeed in adapting. And failure forms the basis of future solutions."