Floods, fires, and drought: ‘Shock’ France climate change report
The report warns that coastal cities could disappear and major cities could be uninhabitable in summer
Drought could affect major rivers including the Loire, which will have knock-on effects on iconic landmarks like the Loire chateaus, countryside and tourism, the report warns
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Cities that are too hot in summer, huge forest fires, and major flooding events are among the ‘shock’ warnings in a new report on how France will be affected by climate change.
The report, from climate activist NGO le Réseau action climat, was published on September 19, and overviews the practical consequences of climate change across the French mainland and its overseas territories.
Entitled La France face au changement climatique: toutes les régions impactées, it warns of temperatures in excess of 45C, ‘mega’ forest fires in the south of the country, and tropical cyclones in the overseas territories.
“[Extreme weather events] are becoming more frequent and more intense,” the report said, and added that all regions will be affected in various ways.
Some of the major report findings and warnings include:
Thousands of heat-related deaths. The report said that excess heat will be an increased threat to humans, based on existing figures. “More than 5,000 deaths were attributable to heat” in 2023 alone it said, adding that there were “almost 33,000 [heat-related deaths] between 2014 and 2022” in total, according to Santé publique France figures.
Rising risk of heatwaves. Again based on existing figures, the report said that “there have been an average of two heatwaves a year in France since 2010, compared with one every five years before 1989”. This is set to accelerate, the report said.
Coastal dangers. Saint-Malo, Mont-Saint-Michel, and the Ile d'Oléron are at risk of disappearing, due to rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and flooding. At-risk regions include Brittany, Normandy, Corsica, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Pays-de-la-Loire.
Too-hot major cities. Cities such as Paris could become “unlivable”, due to flooding and “commonplace” temperatures in excess of 50C in summer.
Loire river at risk. France's longest river, near which four nuclear power stations are located, could see its flow “halved” due to rising drought risk.
The Loire chateaux in danger. Certain regions will see heightened risk of drought, which could permanently alter the landscapes of certain towns and regions, and damage historical treasures such as the chateaux of the Loire, including the Château de Chenonceau.
Heritage gardens at risk. Drought could also affect gardens such as the Château de Chambord, which consume a lot of water. They would need to be redesigned.
Historical buildings threatened by flooding. Some buildings such as Le Clos-Lucé (the last home of Leonardo da Vinci), Blois and Azay-le-Rideau are located in areas at risk of severe flooding.
Farming affected. Drought and forest fires in places including Grand-Est, Centre-Val de Loire, Occitanie, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté could threaten agriculture, and the countryside.
Tree planting changes. Some areas will be forced to adapt, such as the Vosges forest, which the report recommends will need to be planted with tree species from the south of France that are more resistant to heat.
The Verdon gorges at risk. Major gorge systems like this are at higher risk of drying up, with excess heat also posing a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystems, and increasing air and water pollution.
Threat to fauna and flora. These phenomena also have ‘cascading’ consequences, the report said, including a loss of biodiversity, displacement of animal species, and significant changes to landscapes.
Tourism affected. Changing natural areas and attractions could potentially destroy certain sectors of the economy (fishing, tourism, etc), the report warns.
Report recommendations
The report called for urgent changes including:
City redevelopment to limit urban heat islands
Water use to be rationed to prevent drought
Greenhouse gas emissions to be curbed “as of now”
It comes after the Institut de l'économie pour le climat (I4CE) recently estimated that local authorities would need to invest €19 billion a year between now and 2030 to combat climate change. This is more than double the current level of investment.
The NGO called for “the brakes on local investment in the climate to be lifted as a matter of urgency”, and warned that France could see average temperature rise by as much as 4C if current climate policies do not change.
The full report can be downloaded (in French) from the NGO’s website here.
