Question 14078 — climate

Summary

Mr. Olivier Gaillard draws the attention of the Minister of State, Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, to the directions of the restructuring plan aimed at the Mont-Aigoual meteorological observatory. The objective pursued by the interregional management is the eventual elimination of the permanent workforce, which amounts to calling into question the existence of this station very soon. This involves the elimination of 500 positions and the closure of 40 of the 50 stations by 2022. In the case of the Mont-Aigoual observatory, this would lead to a disappearance of technical know-how without which short-term forecasts and precise bulletins cannot be practiced, but also the collection of data for longer-term climate analyses. The violent fatal floods in Aude have once again demonstrated, on this subject, the importance of local and national from the point of view of public security, maintaining a sufficiently tight territorial network of stations. The relaxation of this network by calling into question the permanent staff within numerous stations amounts to placing excessive trust in numerical forecast models leading to repeated orange vigilance, dangerously trivialized, less precise, less refined. It would be very regrettable if the series of measurements assessed at Mont-Aigoual since 1896 (recognized by the World Meteorological Organization) at a key altitude for the knowledge of climate changes, is interrupted, especially since its existence is the justification for the establishment of the “Climate Change Interpretation Center”. It would be equally regrettable if this observatory no longer allowed the development of national instrumental tests. and international on the platform. The specificity of this center also lies in its heritage, historical, educational and tourist value, an extension of its scientific and climatic value. The observatory, inaugurated in 1894, is the last active and inhabited mountain meteorological site in France, and what is more, located in the heart of the Cévennes national park, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. In this case, municipalities at the greater Occitanie region, through the department and the State, political and financial support is unanimous regarding the maintenance of a two-pronged activity - scientific and educational - at this Observatory. These two aspects consolidate and balance each other. This Observatory becomes, by the wishes of meteorologists, all elected officials of the territory and the State, a high place for the interpretation of constant data evolution, and immersion of the public in Météo France's know-how. An approach based on the permanent presence of meteorologists, encouraged by the Météo-France Institution itself and the State. Without this permanent scientific activity, the entire structure would decline logically and financially. First French center for interpreting climate change, with restored buildings, an exhibition space completely redone, recently, and reinforced educational and immersion policies, its attractiveness is growing. Since its inauguration, this Observatory has contributed significantly to an “ecosystem” of development across a large territory. The origins were the reforestation of the massif. Today it is a permanent watch for precise forecasts, a scientific analysis of climatic phenomena, which give content and meaning to innovative scientific tourism of awareness and immersion. Given these all interdependent arguments, which plead for the maintenance of a permanent meteorological service at Mont Aigoual, he asks it to kindly inform him of its positioning and the possible possibilities of evolution of this restructuring plan with a view to finding a solution in line with the entire project of this site and its activities long-term projects for which the State, the Occitanie region, the Gard department and the Causses Aigoual Cévennes Terres Solidaires community of communes are investing 3.5 million euros. The challenge is that of the coherence of the actions of the State and Météo France which have encouraged the diversification of the Observatory's activity with a view to perpetuating the balance of its operation.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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