What will happen to ski resorts, having to face global warming, and the income they generate? Their “economic model is running out of steam”, estimated Tuesday February 6, the Court of Auditors in a report made public, and is concerned about “adaptation policies [qui] remain below the challenges”. Indeed, “from the 2000s, the decline in ski activity and the increasing unsuitability of the real estate assets of the resorts began to weaken the financial balance of the ski lifts and the local economy which partly results from this”, writes the Court of Auditors.
“A phenomenon accentuated by climate change […] with an accelerating rise in temperatures”, according to the Court. “Climate projections show a medium-term accentuation” of the phenomenon, it warns, “all ski resorts will be more or less affected by the end of 2050” and only “a few stations could hope to continue operating beyond this deadline”.
The unsuitable mountain economy
However, deplores the Court of Auditors, “the adaptation policies carried out by mountain stakeholders are essentially based on the production of snow” which has “a short-term effect” because “its cost is significant and its effectiveness tends to decrease. reduce with rising temperatures. Without forgetting “the impact of snow production on water resources” which appears “underestimated in many territories”, underlines the report which considers that “it would be necessary for water withdrawal authorizations intended for snow production take greater account of climate prospects.
As for actions to diversify activities, they “are rarely backed by a real project”, judges the Court of Auditors. “Carried out over time, they often tend to reproduce the ski model, based on significant investments and high attendance without a business plan to establish their economic relevance” and “the initiatives of local authorities are poorly coordinated with each other.
Lack of ecological planning
The report also highlights “the State’s ecological planning, which is not very operational for the mountain tourism sector”, which “does not make it possible to stimulate a real dynamic of change” and considers that the same is true for the regions. “A fundamental reorientation of public spending according to the climatic and economic reality of each territory must be considered,” she believes.
The Court of Auditors also proposes to set up governance for mountain resorts that no longer falls solely on the municipal level. Finally, it suggests setting up a climate change adaptation fund intended to finance actions to diversify and dismantle installations.