Objective: to protect water resources. In a report published on Wednesday, the Giec des Pays-de-la-Loire recommends prohibiting the construction of agricultural mega-basins which would be filled “by pumping in the groundwater”. “Our position is a reserve position because these mega-basins do not solve the subject of the lack of water resources or even accentuate it”, explained Antoine Charlot, secretary general of this regional version of the UN climate experts, after the publication of the report entitled “From Proposals to Action”.
“This creates in particular problems of evaporation and heating of the water which generate bacteria”, he added, while Sainte-Soline, in the New Aquitaine region, is 60 km from Pays-de-France. -la-Loire (Vendée department) and that approximately 25 basins have been created in the Vendée over the past 15 years, with the support of the Pays-de-la-Loire regional council. The regional IPCC specifies that it is not opposed to other techniques such as hillside reservoirs which make it possible to store runoff water.
Towards a regional “COP” on climate
Launched in October 2020 by the Comité 21 Grand Ouest, a network of actors committed to sustainable development, this regional IPCC is made up of researchers from different disciplines working in universities, colleges or research institutes. Its first report, published in June 2022, focused on the “vulnerabilities” of this region to climate change. The second, presented Wednesday morning in Angers, is devoted to solutions for adapting to climate issues.
It draws up a series of recommendations to make the Pays-de-la-Loire region “a unique and pioneering example” in this area. In particular, the report suggests launching a regional “COP” on the climate with quantified objectives: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% per year and to create new carbon sinks (in particular by planting a million trees per year). In the agricultural field, the regional IPCC calls for the acceleration of the training of farmers in climate issues and for “social and financial” support to change the model.
Other recommendations
This report also proposes to create a local carbon offset market. This would allow, for example, a polluting company to finance ecological transition projects: planting of trees, hedges, restoration of wetlands, etc.
Lastly, it recommends the creation of an emergency climate fund, topped up by local authorities, to help companies weather the vagaries of the weather, which are likely to increase in number in the years to come.