Adapting to climate change requires foresight and anticipation. In preparation for a France with +2.7°C by 2050 and +4°C by 2100, the third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC) was published this March. Its 52 measures aim to systematically integrate adaptation strategies into all public policies by 2028. In this article, Alcimed deciphers two key challenges critical to achieving this goal.
Extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and intensity: floods, soil shrink-swell, coastal erosion, wildfires, mountain hazards, etc.
To protect the population against these new climate-related risks, prevention must be improved and territories must be adapted.
This includes limiting the effects of the shrink-swell of clay soils, which weaken infrastructures and buildings. The adaptation plan calls for improved soil analysis and mapping, the development of soil stabilization techniques, and the adaptation of construction practices.
In addition, integrating nature-based solutions—such as preserving and restoring wetlands, forests, and coastal areas—should help mitigate floods, coastal erosion, urban heat islands, droughts, and wildfires.
Finally, the plan also aims to rethink insurance and financing systems to effectively cover climate risks, including in areas facing increasing damage due to climate change.
Living and working conditions must also evolve in response to heatwaves and other climate constraints. Adaptation includes transforming housing, buildings, and urban spaces (improved insulation, reflective materials, greening, etc.), as well as developing and installing sustainable cooling solutions (geothermal energy, passive ventilation, district cooling networks, etc.).
The plan includes adapting working conditions for the most exposed professions and vulnerable populations, for instance by adjusting working hours to reduce exposure to high temperatures, or ensuring access to tempered water and effective ventilation.
Climate change also increases health risks, as the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, pollution-related illnesses, and vector-borne diseases are expected to rise. As such, environmental, human, and animal health are all under threat.
To mitigate this, the plan calls for enhanced monitoring of emerging diseases and air quality, along with the implementation of alert systems when health risks increase, such as during heatwaves.
Adapting territories to climate change requires better integration of climate issues into local policies.
To this end, the adaptation plan provides for making accurate and up-to-date climate data available to local authorities, along with technical and strategic support to inform their decisions and facilitate the integration of climate warming trajectories into all public planning documents. This support is provided in part by Regional Climate Expert Groups (GREC), which offer scientific expertise in addition to the technical expertise provided by state operators such as ADEME, CEREMA, and BRGM.
To reinforce local authorities’ capacity for action, public funding will now be more heavily directed towards projects that enhance territorial resilience and take future climate risks into account—particularly those relying on nature-based solutions.
Additionally, the plan includes updating technical standards and frameworks with a climate component to ensure they also consider future climate conditions within an adaptation logic.
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To ensure resilient and efficient water resource management, the implementation of the “Water Plan” is key. It aims to ensure reasonable water use among domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors, while preserving aquatic ecosystems.
This involves promoting water-efficient agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to increase groundwater recharge and reduce flood risks. More broadly, efforts must be made at all levels to promote water reuse and assess the potential for desalination. Initial regulations have already eased conditions for reusing wastewater and rainwater. For example, since early 2024, food sector companies are authorized to use treated wastewater for food preparation, processing, and preservation.
It will also be essential to prevent severe water stress through anticipatory policies, including real-time flow management and adapting public policies and user behavior. The widespread use of long-term planning schemes for water use and resources—such as Water Supply Master Plans (SDAEP)—is one proposed solution.
Read more: Climate resilience: 3 major challenges for better sustainable water management
To be resilient, the services essential to national functioning must be guaranteed even during extreme climate events.
The plan includes ensuring the resilience of the energy system to avoid blackouts. This involves assessing risks to energy production, transport, and distribution, then reinforcing the associated infrastructure. The goal is to ensure that French electricity production—nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, and solar—is resilient, and to assess supply chain and logistics vulnerabilities in the oil and gas sectors, as well as the risks associated with those infrastructures.
Transportation networks—road, rail, and air—must also be adapted to better withstand flooding, extreme heat, and other climate events. Vulnerability assessments of these infrastructures are currently underway.
Other key topics addressed in the plan include the continuity of schooling and childcare services, which will require specific protocols and training for education staff. The resilience of electronic communication services is also critical and requires prior assessment of the vulnerability of telecom networks and data centers. Finally, the increase in health risks caused by climate change necessitates rethinking and adapting the healthcare system to ensure better prevention.
These two challenges, protecting people and ensuring the resilience of territories, infrastructure, and essential services, are key to adapting to climate change. The adaptation plan also includes diagnostics, consultations, and studies to “adapt human activities,” “protect natural and cultural heritage,” and “mobilize the nation’s stakeholders.”
In the face of today’s and tomorrow’s climate challenges, adaptation is a necessity. We must act collectively, at all levels, to ensure our territories, infrastructure, and ways of life evolve with the new realities, to secure a sustainable and livable future for all. At Alcimed, we’re ready to support you in this transition! Don’t hesitate to contact our team!
About the author
Sébastien, Project Manager within Alcimed’s Energy, Environment & Mobility team in France.
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