Voies Navigables de France, the public body responsible for managing France's waterways since the early 1990s, worked with experts to draw up plans for restoring the landscape of the Canal du Midi.
Urgent action was needed, mainly owing to the disappearance of plane trees caused by the spread of canker stain. As well as killing the trees, this also threatens overall biodiversity as old plane trees are the preferred habitat of protected species such as scops owls and bats. In addition to installing nest boxes etc. to safeguard these species, the restoration project plans to replant trees along the banks of the canal.
Role of the ENGIE Foundation
The Foundation supported the project in 2016 for a period of one year.
