Pathways of Adaptation to Climate Change: Analysis and Transformation of the Governance System of the Ardennes Mountain Area

Introduction In-between France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, the Ardennes are a mountain forest in the heart of Europe. Even if it is a small mountain not covered by the French mountain law, the territory is certainly mountainous. It is characterized by issues shared with other mountain areas such as a fragile ecosystem, an important forest cover, mountain agriculture, a three-dimensional rurality, changing demographics, and significant cultural landscapes. This territory has significant water resources, as well as some exposure to natural hazards and vulnerability to climate change. In addition, the Ardennes are far from the urban centers, and crossed by transport and tourism axes and flows, as well as by borders. These characteristics are not unique to the Ardennes but are shared by many other mountain areas in Europe (Debarbieux, Price, & Balsiger, 2013, Debarbieux & Rudaz, 2010). The Ardennes are in a globally temperate climate zone with many microclimates between forests and...

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