Articles
The Alpine Convention in small bites
"The Alpine Convention in Small Bites" is the name of a new page on the website operated by the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, which provides short summaries of the main contents of the Alpine Convention.
Report on the water resources of the Alps and climate change
An English-language report on the water household of the Alps in times of climate change was recently published under the title "Regional Climate Change and Adaptation - The Alps Facing the Challenge of Changing Water Resources". The authors consider specific options for adaptation to changes in the availability of water in the Alpine region, including the keys to success and the obstacles to be overcome.
Beacons of energy-efficient construction in the mountains
The summer of 2009 saw the opening of the first mountain chalet to be built to the Minergy-P standard. Located in the ski area of Zermatt/CH at an altitude of 3,883 metres, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is a model of ecological construction at the foot of the Klein Matterhorn.
New ALPARC brochure available
"Large Carnivores in the Alps and Carpathians: Living with the Wildlife" is a recently published brochure containing the results of the conference on large carnivores held in Slovakia at the beginning of July.
Abondance Ski Area reopened
In the last few years, lack of snow was a major problem for the ski area in Abondance/F, which is located at 1500 m above sea-level. Because of poor snow conditions, the lifts did not open at all in the last two winter seasons.
Latest edition of the Journal of Alpine Research now available online
The latest edition of the international and multidisciplinary "Journal of Alpine Research" is now available online under the title "Mountain Regions as Referents for Collective Action".
Mountain film festivals at a glance
A good overview of the main mountain film festivals in the Alps is provided by a new brochure on "Mountain Film Festivals in the Alps" published by the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention.
New publication: Mountain Biodiversity and Climate Change
On the basis of papers presented at the International Mountain Biodiversity Conference held in Kathmandu/NP in November 2008, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has published a brochure on biodiversity in mountain landscapes and climate change.
Mountain hike for climate protection
On 15 August 2009, some seventy hikers went up to the Goldbergkees glacier on the Hoher Sonnblick in Salzburg/A to draw attention to the impacts of global climate change.
11,000 invasive species in Europe
The first complete European report on the presence of invasive alien species of flora and fauna is now available for download at the DAISIE website. The DAISIE project was initiated by the European Commission to obtain an inventory and a documentation of the effects of immigrant species in Europe.
Special edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin now online
The July edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin, entitled "Mountain Biodiversity: Lifeline for the Future", is now available for download at www.mtnforum.org/rsmfnews.cfm?newsid=52 (en).
350 newly discovered species in the Himalayas
A flying frog and the world's smallest deer are among the species discovered in the Himalayas in the last ten years. According to a report recently published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), between 1998 and 2008, a total of 353 new species were identified.
cc.alps concentrates on raising awareness during the second half of 2009!
The Swiss MAVA Foundation for Nature is making further funding available to the CIPRA cc.alps Project in the second half of 2009.
A cool head in conversation: Norbert Lantschner, Director of the ClimateHouse Agency in Bolzano/I "The cleanest energy is the energy I don't need"
The ClimateHouse Agency in Bolzano has won one of the seven prizes of the CIPRA's cc.alps Competition for its energy saving initiatives. We spoke to its Director, Norbert Lantschner at our "Cool Heads in the Hothouse" conference.
Exemplary Climate Response Measures
A great deal is being done in the Alps as a response to climate change.
Knowledge in a compact and understandable form
Cool heads and well considered strategies are required in these times of heated debate about climate measures.
Melting glaciers on your local mountain - what now?
On 24th and 25th September 2009 cc.alps is organising an international conference on the impact of melting glaciers on communities in collaboration with CIPRA Switzerland and the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Preservation in Crans Montana/CH.
Why do you go hiking?
Together with the French Ramblers' Association and the French Alpine Club, the French association "Grande Traversée des Alpes" are trying to find the answer to the simple question, why do tourists go hiking on mountain and woodland paths or through dunes and deserts?
International Competition for Mountain Photography and Film
Photographs and films on the subject of Mountain, Landscape and Nature, from the mountains of Lombardy to the world's highest peaks may now be submitted as entries for the "Orobie Film Festival" International Film and Photography Competition.
The "Allgäu Moor Alliance" wins the German Government's Competition for Large-Scale Nature Conservation Projects
The winners of the German government's "idee.natur - Large-scale Nature Conservation Projects and Rural Development" competition were announced at the end of June 2009. Five regions came out on top with their concepts for new large-scale nature conservation projects. Over € 50 million will be invested in these regions over the next ten years. The "Allgäu Moor Alliance" was the winner in the Moors Category.
Dolomites named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
At its 33rd meeting held on 26th June 2009 in Seville, Spain the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the application from the Dolomites/I to be included in the list of "Natural World Heritage Sites of universal value" thus according it the highest worldwide status for a natural site.
eco.mont - new journal for research in protected areas
The first issue of the new journal "eco.mont - Journal of protected mountain areas research" has appeared.
New version of the bilingual Revue de Géographie alpine
The international bilingual (fr/en) Revue de Géographie alpine (Journal of Alpine Research) has recently become available online on http://rga.revues.org (fr/en).
II. Report on the State of the Alps feels the pulse of the Alpine watercourses
The Standing Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and an international group of experts under the joint chairmanship of Austria and Germany have compiled the 2nd Report on the State of the Alps focusing on "Water and Water Management Issues".
New publications on transport in the Alpine area
Three publications on the outcomes of the latest study initiatives on transport in mountain regions have been recently published by the European Academy EURAC in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of the Environment.
Further support for the Alpine ecological network
CIPRA, the Alpine network of protected areas, ISCAR and the WWF have been involved in the "Ecological Continuum" project for the establishment of an ecological network covering the entire Alpine region since 2007.
Alpine region carbon-neutral by 2050
At the 10th Alpine Conference in Evian/F in March 2009 a climate action plan was adopted, which set itself the goal of making the Alpine region a model for prevention and adjustment to climate change.
First carbon-footprint calculation for a ski school
The carbon footprint of a ski school in France has been measured for the first time.
European Agro-Biodiversity Day
The European Agro-biodiversity Day (EAD) will take place on 29th September 2009 under the motto "Arca-Net - the European Ark Network".
New documentation on ecological networks in Europe
The KEN Projekt (Knowledge for ecological networks - Catalyzing the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of ecological networks in Europe), carried out by six project partners, came to an end.