Gérard Bertrand claims a Marshall plan at 500 million euros to save the Corbières. He calls on the public authorities to find funding and accelerate administrative procedures.
In a letter addressed to our editorial staff, Gérard Bertrand, winemaker and merchant, is moved from the unprecedented fire in the Corbières who “Touches me deep in my soul”. He writes: “This land of the Cathar country was a treasure and a benchmark of biodiversity and preserved nature. Nearly 20,000 hectares who left for smoke, why? Of course, global warming impacts the planet, but this is not a sufficient response. There have been alerts of Météo France for ten years which have highlighted the semi-aridification of the coastal strip going from Sète to Perpignan. Wine and tourism has been neglected by negligence and for lack of ambition. “ He continues: “Water is the limiting factor because its lack has accelerated the process of uprooting the vineyards so important to be of real fire-cutting. The lack of water has also reduced agronomic yields and leads certain operations to stop their activities, without finding a buyer. The absence of reserve of water and collinary reservoirs and the unbearable slowness of the installation of aqua Domitia (water coming from the Rhône) Boost agriculture, viticulture, tourism, industry have created the conditions for this ecological and human drama. “
“Let’s create the Eldorad’eau together”
The Neosexagenaire also addresses these words: “The extent of this disaster obliges the Occitanie region and the State with the help of professionals to fix a Marshall plan so that the Corbières resuscitate their ashes and that this plan fixes a rapid retro planning to bring water into this area in great suffering and beyond all over the coastal strip. It will be necessary to do in 3 to 5 years maximum which should have been done for 10 years. 17 million euros per year over 30 years! And to remember that “The Rhône pours each year between 60 and 70 billion cubic meters of water at sea while we take 200 million cubic meters, or 0.2 %! Close the ban. The recovery capacities of rainwater are negligible. There is no longer room for loopholes. You have to act and be effective and up to everyone’s obligations. Challenges and upcoming opportunities “.
