PERIGORD, HERITAGE AT RISK

The grim realities of climate change

An episode from the series EARTH ON EDGE

Synopsis

In southwest France, the Dordogne region is renowned for magnificent castles, truffles, local walnuts, and prehistoric caves.

However, few people know that the vagaries of the climate threaten these heritage treasures. Periods of rainfall have become rare but very brutal. They erode the rocks that support the fortresses of the Middle Ages.

Truffles and walnuts tend to disappear or deteriorate under the effects of drought. As for the Lascaux cave, it is subject to the combined risk of fires on the surface and temperature variations at depth.