News
Sylvia Hamberger awarded Bavaria's Nature Conservation Medal
On 12 March 2009 the German environmental organisation Bund Naturschutz awarded Bavaria's Nature Conservation Medal to Sylvia Hamberger in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the protection of the Alpine region.
Alps Know-How CD now available for download
The Alps Know-How CD is one of the results of the Future in the Alps know-how transfer project.
Browsing the essence of 58 Alpine projects
The Alpine Space Programme Interreg III B ran from 2000 to 2006. During that time 700 partners from 33 regions carried out a total of 58 projects with funds of around €120 million.
Advanced studies in the field of sustainable tourism
The Swiss Tourism School Siders is offering a new Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in "Heritage and Tourism - The Mountains as a Living, Working and Recreation Environment" in conjunction with the UNESCO World Heritage property of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn.
Discussion on territorial cohesion in Europe
Discussion of the European Commission's Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion entitled "Territorial Diversion as Strength" has been underway since October 2008.
More than 10,000 alien species in Europe
The fact that more and more non-indigenous species of fauna and flora are spreading throughout Europe is nothing new. But for the first time a complete list of all the invasive species has now been compiled.
Projects on transnational networking in the area of natural hazards
AdaptAlp, a recently launched EU project, looks at climate response measures and the evaluation of natural hazards. The work on strategies and proposed solutions aimed at coping with the impact of climate change is to provide the basis for more intensive international co-operation in natural hazard management.
A scientific insight into mountain regions and cultures worldwide
In the October issue of its IHDP Update magazine the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) looks at mountain regions worldwide.
ECONNECT: Nature without limits
The kick-off for the EU project "ECONNECT - Restoring the web of life" took place in Vienna/A on 4 and 5 November. Over the next three years sixteen partners and four observers from all the Alpine States will be working to implement an ecological network across state borders and the confines of protected areas.
Protected areas in the EU lacking in quality
According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) more than half of the protected species and habitats in the EU are under pressure. Worldwide, just under 17,000 species are on the Red List, i.e. threatened by extinction.
Latest issue of the Journal of Alpine Research
The latest publication in the bilingual series Journal of Alpine Research comprises four specialist articles on different topical issues. The first feature deals with the rivalry for public commodities, illustrated with the specific example of an irrigation system in northern Italy.
The Andes and the Alps on a single rope team
This year mountain guides from Peru are carrying out part of their training in the Alps at the invitation of their Swiss counterparts. Already back in the early 1980s, the Swiss Mountain Guide Association initiated a professional mountain guide training course in Peru.
Obligatory rentals for planned Swiss resort
The Egyptian entrepreneur Samih Sawiris does not want the resort he is planning in Andermatt/CH to become a ghost town. His solution: anyone who purchases a house or apartment as a second home must sign a contract agreeing to rent the property whenever they are not in residence.
New publication: "Mapping the Alps"
With its international data sets and maps, this recently published atlas of the Alps provides a solid and up-to-date basis for a wide range of questions relating to the Alpine region. The editors see their work as a tool for studying the differences and the rapid pace of change in terms of place and society, which is so typical of the Alpine region in particular.
More winter passengers handled by France's Alpine airports
Passenger volumes at the airports in Grenoble-Isère/F and Chambéry-Savoie/F increased by 7% and 20% respectively in the 2007/2008 winter season. In the last two years, Grenoble-Isère has had the highest rates of growth in passenger totals of all French airports.
New look for the Via Alpina website
Via Alpina fans can now go the organisation's revamped website with additional functionality for planning and preparing for a walk. The officially designated routes of the Via Alpina, with descriptions of the walks available in several languages, are the ideal way to discover the Alpine Arc.
EU Structural Fund with negative environmental impacts
More than two thirds of the projects financed with the help of the European Union's Structural Fund have effects that are contrary to EU environmental policy objectives.
Switzerland's first village hotel
The entire village of Vná in the Lower Engadine is to become a hotel as of May 1.
Freight traffic in Europe: costs and alternatives
The European Commission has just released a handbook on the internationalisation of external costs in the transport sector. The handbook features proven methods for estimating and monetising the costs caused by air pollution, noise, climate change, congestion and accidents.
Laser scanner to protect against floods
As part of the EU-sponsored research project FloodScan the German Land of Bavaria is to be photographed and surveyed from the air using laser scanners.
Conference on climate change in mountain regions
An international workshop on climate change and sustainable development in mountain regions is being held in Innsbruck/A from 7 to 9 April. The aim is to identify future research work necessary in connection with sustainable development in mountain regions.
New publication on alpine landscapes
The December 2007 issue of the bilingual La revue de géographie alpine / Journal of Alpine Research focuses on the Forum Alpinum held in April 2007, which was dedicated to the topic of landscape development in mountain areas.
A new forum for mountain book enthusiasts
Anyone wanting to share their opinions or impressions of a mountain book they have read now have a new medium to do so.
Agricultural genetic resources of the Alps
The final report of the project "Continuous Monitoring of Agricultural Genetic Resources of the Alps: The Alpine Delphi" was published at the end of 2007. The project was conducted by the Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe in co-operation with the SAVE Foundation.
Luc Hoffmann honoured for his life's work as a conservationist
The 2007 Environmental Award of the European Nature Heritage Fund goes to Switzerland's Luc Hoffmann in recognition of his life's work as a prominent nature conservationist and nature heritage patron.
Status report on the lynx in the Alps
The Alpine countries have updated their information on the status and distribution of lynx populations on their respective territories for the period 2000 to 2004. The findings are summarised in a new report as part of SCALP (Status and Conservation of the Alpine Lynx Population).
Proceedings of the "Ecological Network" platform and ForumAlpinum 07
Germany's Federal Agency for Nature Conservation is presenting a brochure on the inaugural meeting of the Ecological Network Platform under the Alpine Convention. The meeting was held in Munich/D on 29 March 2007 under the heading "Establishing an Alpine Ecological Network".
Eco-building zone promotes demographic growth
The tiny Grisons community of Flerden/CH has succeeded in attracting new residents to its mountain village - and done so ecologically. In 2003 the community created an 8,500 m² energy-saving housing area for new builds erected according to ecological principles.
BergBuchBrig
Montagnalibri, the international mountain-book fair, is to be held for the second time in Brig in the Valais/CH from 25 to 28 October 2007. BergBuchBrig presents over 1,000 new books from 30 countries in a variety of languages. All the specialist books, literary works, picture books, guides, etc., relate to the world of the mountains.
Tackling climate change with bare facts
Switzerland's Aletsch Glacier was recently the scene of an unusual protest action. Around 600 people gathered on the Alps's largest glacier to draw attention to the impact of climate change - by stripping off completely. The participants, who had travelled from all over Europe, were positioned on the Glacier in a variety of ways by photographers and five camera crews, and photographed from all sorts of angles.