Towards 2050 and beyond!

Sunday, May 26th, saw the first of six public walks offered this year by the Park to project themselves into "A corner of Périgord-Limousin in 2050!". Seventeen participants gathered in Abjat-sur-Bandiat to inaugurate this animation format full of poetry, humor, and optimism.

A walk to imagine the future

Although climate change has been a hot topic for many years, it is still sometimes difficult to truly understand its consequences. This is especially true in Périgord-Limousin, where melting snow and rising water levels are not on the agenda. And yet, the forecasts are unanimous: in our region, as elsewhere, major upheavals are underway, and we will have to adapt to it.

So, what might our villages look like in 25 years? The Park wanted to facilitate this projection into the future, thanks to the creation of a storytelling walk, designed in partnership with the Institute of Occitan Studies of Limousin (IEO) based on scientific work and local climate forecasts from Météo France. The objective? Imagine and share a desirable scenario, in which the territory has adapted to new climatic conditions through exemplary solutions. Appealing to the senses and emotions, this awareness-raising tool allows us to address differently un subject often perceived as distressing. After testing it with elected officials and then its partners, the Park wanted to open this format to residents, through its program of free activities " The Park Meetings ».

Abjat-sur-Bandiat in 25 years

For the first of these walks, the meeting place was Abjat-sur-Bandiat, a historic commune in the Park's territory. Before starting, and to provide context, everyone was invited to share their age in 2050: 35, 50, 72, and up to 109 years old, everyone played along! Projected 25 years into the future, the group followed in the footsteps of Jean-François Vignaud, the IEO's inimitable storyteller with a prolific imagination. During a short stroll punctuated by 10 stops, the participants immersed themselves in the Périgord-Limousin of tomorrow, where water has become scarce and heatwaves have increased, but where agriculture has reinvented itself and solidarity between residents has strengthened.

On the edge of an orchard, the walk allowed us toimagine a future where apricot trees have appeared in the commune. However, with uneven harvests from one year to the next, due to the great climatic variations. Further on, facing the pond that exists today, the storyteller depicted a new landscape, composed of a restored wetland and a eco-village intended to accommodate climate refugees from the south of France! Even further afield, the calendar of annual festivities has adapted to the climate of 2050: no more fireworks on July 14; they are now set off in November due to the risk of fire in summer.

Returning from this trip into the future, the participants shared a glass of friendship offered by the municipality of Abjat. Finally, to close the meeting, they exchanged with the Mayor around the taking climate change into account in the municipality's projectsThe finalized project for the flowering and de-impermeabilization of the town and the ongoing discussions to improve rainwater management were notably discussed.

Upcoming dates

Five other walks of this type are planned in the area, in partnership with the municipalities or communities of municipalities concerned:

• Wednesday, July 2 in Saillat-sur-Vienne
• Saturday July 5 in Cussac
• Saturday, August 2 in Flavignac
• Saturday, September 27 in Mareuil-en-Périgord
• Friday, October 17 in Saint-Paul-la-Roche

All information can be found on: https://www.pnr-perigord-limousin.fr/en-ce-moment/agenda/les-rendez-vous-du-parc/. Free registration at 05 53 55 36 00.