News
Referendum in the Puster Valley and restoration of a protection forest in Hinterstein - We'll have our say! The people living in the Alps are no longer prepared to look on; they want to be involved.
In recent years co-operative planning processes have gained in importance as a result of targets set by the EU or national governments. Participation in the sense of greater co-determination and co-decision is also being called for at grassroots level, by citizens, land owners and pressure groups.
From the Dorfmobil Klaus project to the reawakened Merano-Mals railway - "Soft mobility" helps to promote tourism in remote areas
The major problems caused by transit traffic through the Alps dominate the media. And yet it is all too often forgotten that more than two thirds of traffic in the Alps is home-made. So what are the alternatives? This was one of the key questions put to our team of experts.
Biological diversity as an investment - Protected areas give the Alps a good image and help man and nature
Given good management, protected areas can contribute both to regional value-added and the preservation of biodiversity. Environmentally friendly holiday accommodation with a recognised seal of approval like the Gîtes Panda in the French Alps enhances the quality of life in and around protected areas.
Cyberspace on alpine pastures, cultural festivals and exchange marts - Education projects and cultural centres promote cohesion
The state is stepping back and social structures are weakening: Citizens must take their affairs into their own hands and organise themselves to bring about decisions locally.
From timber construction to hay wraps - Besides natural resources people's skills and commitment are the Alps' real wealth
Deploring the exodus of the population and the proliferation of tourism, and doing nothing about it, is one approach; the other, far more constructive solution is to show how money can be earned, and secure jobs created, using the resources available locally.
Extracting Stores of Knowledge
The future belongs to those who help to shape it. And in the Alps countless initiatives involving thousands of activists are working to do just that. Yet most of them are unaware of the fact that elsewhere other people are working away on exactly the same problems as they are. This is precisely where the Future in the Alps Project launched by CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, comes into play. It is all about collating practical experience throughout the Alps, classifying it and making it available to those who need it.
New publication on Alpine Towns
In 2005 CIPRA, the International Commission on the Protection of the Alps, organised a large conference on Alpine Towns and has now published the collected findings in a conference book.
Unconventional co-operation in Switzerland's mountain regions
The Swiss Working Group on Mountain Regions has struck up a co-operation venture with eBay International AG, the world's largest internet auction house. Private individuals as well as small and medium-sized businesses are to be trained in buying and selling products and services via eBay.
Indoor ski venues closing in on the Alps
It's not just in the desert state of Dubai that indoor ski runs are proving increasingly popular, but also in Europe. No snow means no revenue, and the mild weather is giving Europe's ski resorts a serious headache, one which the ski industry is hoping to relieve with artificial snow and indoor venues, regardless of global warming issues.
Plans for a ski resort in the Natura 2000 region of northern Spain
According to plans by the regional government of Castile-León a new winter sports resort with ski-lift capacities for 32,000 visitors an hour is to be built in the northern Spanish provinces of Cantabria, Leon and Palencia.
Ski runs a hazard for bird communities
According to a report compiled by ecologists at the University of Turin/I in the Journal of Applied Ecology, high-altitude alpine ski runs are posing a serious threat to bird communities.
Mountain areas as menageries
The latest issue of the Journal of Alpine Research (fr/en) features "mountain areas as menageries". Indeed the decline in biodiversity is a major ecological problem.
Alpine glaciers melting ever faster
The glaciers of the Alps could well disappear sooner than expected. Researchers now believe that in thirty years' time only the largest and highest glaciers will be left.
Swiss Mountain Water Award 2007
This year again, the Swiss Mountain Water Award initiated by the Government Conference of the Mountain Cantons is to be held for the third year running since 2005, with prize money worth CHF 50,000.
New measures for combating and managing particulate matte
Every winter, de-icing salt is scattered on the roads despite its negative impact on the environment, groundwater, infrastructure and cars. But now Klagenfurt/A has come up with an alternative: Instead of salt it is to spray calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), a de-icing agent made from calcium, magnesium and acetic acid.
EU: Is regional planning foremost an instrument for business development?
EU regional planning ministers are to meet on 25 May 2007 to adopt a Territorial Agenda designed to provide a framework for future spatial development in Europe.
55th international mountain film festival in Trento
The Trento Film Festival is being held in Trento/I from 24 April to 6 May 2007 for the 55th time. Topical documentary and feature films are to be screened in four categories, with awards going to the best.
Low-cost construction method for the KlimaHau
The provinces of South Tyrol/I and Lower Saxony/D have co-developed the world's first ever energy-saving prefabricated house based on a low-cost construction method. The aim is to establish and use the South Tyrol KlimaHaus as an alternative construction method for Africa and disaster areas.
Will the Mont Blanc finally become part of UNESCO's Natural Heritage?
The international Pro Mont Blanc association, which has been campaigning actively since 1991 for the protection of the Mont Blanc, would like to see the mountain massif finally included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
1.5 tonnes of artificial fertilizer for skiing competitions?
The impact of climate change on skiing areas is the subject of the OECD study published on 13 December 2006. It concludes that if a region's average annual temperature increases by one degree, only around 500 of the 666 skiing areas in the Alps could be assured of snow.
Climate change impacts biodiversity
For a number of years now, biodiversity in Alpine ecosystems has been declining under the effect of climate change.
German environmental associations obtain greater rights of action
With the coming into force on 15 December 2006 of Germany's environmental legal remedy legislation environmental associations have been given greater rights of action in the area of environmental protection.
Werfenweng: "Sanft Mobil auf neuen Wegen"
"The idea to create a special book of photographs about Werfenweng and our passion for gentle mobility came about in summer 2005"
Climate Star 2007 - European award for climate protection activities at the local level
For the third time the Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples is inviting all European cities and municipalities to present their climate protection activities and apply for a Climate Star.
Olympic infrastructures - A bottomless pit?
The infrastructure facilities built for the Olympic Winter Games in Turin in February 2006 have proved an expensive legacy.
Davos on the road to Kyoto
Davos, Switzerland's highest town, is working towards a more climate-friendly local policy.
Exchange of know-how on regional management
Two events focusing on regional development and management are scheduled for the beginning of 2007 as part of the workshop series entitled "Future in the Alps: Getting Knowledge Across - Networking People" organised by CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps.
Tests underway on the world's highest solar power station
The Swiss utility BKW FMB Energie AG is currently conducting trials scheduled to last until this summer on a high-alpine solar power station.
Database on experts in mountain area research
The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) has gone online with an expert database comprising almost 5,000 entries on people in governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as private groups who are involved in research into mountain regions in general and the impact of climate change in particular.
Boosting cross-alpine rail freight traffic
The Adriazug pilot project has been launched in a bid to reduce the burden of HGV traffic on transit routes through the Alps.