Climate change: vulnerability confirmed, levers activated!

Nearly 70 local elected officials and local stakeholders gathered on Wednesday, April 16, in Cussac for a new meeting dedicated to adapting to climate change. This was an opportunity to discover the conclusions of the assessment of the vulnerability of Périgord-Limousin to climate change.

A well-established local dynamic

Launched in mid-2024, the Park's mission dedicated to adapting to climate change has taken on a new dimension in recent months. Faced with the scale of the challenges to be addressed, the Park has decided mobilize as many local stakeholders as possible to raise awareness of this issue and work together. Elected officials, public stakeholders, associations and local collectives were thus invited to take part in two workshops, the first of which was held on March 4 in Saint-Saud-Lacoussière and the second on March 25 in Champniers-et-Reilhac. The meeting on April 16 confirmed the strength of the momentum established, with nearly 70 participants from both Haute-Vienne and Dordogne. On this occasion, the presence of the sub-prefect of Rochechouart made it possible to reaffirm the importance of adaptation issues and to recall the presence of the State alongside the territories to support the necessary changes, particularly through the financing possibilities of the Green Fund.

Périgord-Limousin, vulnerable but with many assets

The highlight of the day, the second half of the morning, was devoted to the presentation of the vulnerability assessment conducted from January to April 2025 by the BL Evolution research firm. The objective of this assessment was to identify the main risks facing the region and its ability to address them. The full vulnerability assessment report will be released by the summer.

Unsurprisingly, rising average temperatures and the increase in heatwaves are among the climatic hazards to which Périgord-Limousin will be most exposed in the coming years. This development is particularly worrying given the aging population and dispersed housing in Périgord-Limousin. By 2050, Périgord-Limousin will face temperatures comparable to those of Nîmes today. Serious consequences are expected for agriculture and forestry, two key sectors of the local economy and particularly sensitive to the scarcity of water resources and droughts induced by rising temperatures. Furthermore, the phenomena of clay shrinkage and swelling, which permanently weakens buildings, are expected to increase, particularly in the southern part of the Park, in Dordogne.

Faced with these risks, Périgord-Limousin nevertheless has assets to mobilize to facilitate its resilience. In addition to the collective dynamic initiated by the Park, the maintenance of preserved natural areas is a major challenge in terms of adaptation. The territory's many wetlands are a perfect example, allowing rainwater to be stored and released in the event of drought.

Adaptation, an intrinsically human challenge

Beyond the figures, the Park wanted to highlight the social and cultural dimension of the challenges to be addressed. In the early afternoon, participants took part in a storytelling walk through the streets of Cussac, to imagine themselves in 2050, in a Périgord-Limousin with a disrupted climate but having shown solidarity and resilience, to face climatic hazards and reinvent itself. Subsequently, the presentation of the "sensitive diagnosis" carried out by the RURUNER association, made it possible to identify actions to be implemented toovercoming the obstacles to change : clarification of everyone's roles, broader communication, sharing of experiences or even implementation of a unifying project.

Armed with this information, the participants agreed to meet again in October to continue the momentum, in the interest of the region and its inhabitants.