Heritage: Chambord, Carcassonne, Saint-Malo… Alert on 20 major sites threatened by global warming

Repeated droughts, coastal erosion, torrential rains and fires... Climate change does not spare the national heritage. A report from the Climate Action Network lists the climatic hazards that threaten twenty emblematic sites in mainland France and overseas. He calls for awareness to avoid irreparable losses.

Find in the interactive map below 20 heritage sites threatened by climate change

On the coast, one of the major risks is erosion. In Normandy, the retreat of the cliffs threatens the remains of the D-Day Beaches, while in Charente-Maritime, the deconstruction of the Coubre lighthouse seems inevitable before it collapses into the ocean. In French Polynesia, the association continues, the sacred site of Taputapuātea sees its stone structures weakened by rising waters and the violence of the swells.

Inland, the threats are heat and lack of water. The Château de Versailles and the Louvre Museum were thus forced to urgently adapt their visiting hours, both to protect people's health and to preserve collections sensitive to temperature variations.