Climate crisis: solutions from nature
A recent report with CIPRA involvement shows how nature-based solutions can help to tackle the climate crisis across the Alps.
Restoring urban streams, maintaining mountain forests, managing pastures with care: a report published by the German Federal Environment Agency in June 2025 analyses the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS) and their governance structures in the Alpine region. It is based on a comprehensive analysis of eight successfully implemented model projects in various Alpine regions. One of these is the Zurich stream concept/CH. It renaturalises urban streams, thereby promoting biodiversity and reducing urban flooding. Interdisciplinary planning and transparency are key success factors here.
One internationally successful model is the mountain forest project (Austria, Catalonia, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland). It strengthens climate-resilient forests and peatlands, fosters a sense of community and education, while the broad involvement of volunteers ensures success. The model "Rotational grazing management to increase the sustainability of livestock farms in the Alpine region", which was analysed using an individual Italian farm, improves soil quality and biodiversity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves feed costs. What does it take to successfully implement nature-based solutions in the Alpine region? Both bottom-up approaches of small projects and top-down approaches with large-scale solutions promise success.
Easily accessible education and training programmes on nature-based solutions should also be offered. The report provides these and numerous other recommendations on space, time, finance, organisation, education, communication and governance. It was produced in collaboration with the Institute for Environmental Planning and Spatial Development in Munich (ifuplan) on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency. On 17 June 2025, CIPRA presented the report at the 7th European Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (ECCA) in Rimini/I and discussed ways of mobilising land for nature-based solutions with experts.
To the report: "Nature-based solutions and their governance structures in the Alpine region"
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