News
Interreg III B projects MONITRAF and ALPNAP
Transport across the Alps is at the centre of the Final Conference of the Interreg III B projects MONITRAF and ALPNAP, which have been running since 2005. The Conference is entitled "Transport across the Alps. Approaches and common measures for sustainable transport development in the Alpine region".
Call for a more strategic approach to mountain area development
At a meeting of the Adelboden Group held in Rome on 3 October over 60 representatives from governments, civil society and international organisations from mountain countries across the globe called for a more coherent approach to sustainable development in mountain areas.
New UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in mountain areas
A total of 23 selected regions and protected areas from 18 countries are to join the global network of biosphere reserves. The decision was taken in Paris at the conference of the International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).
UN Conference on Tourism and Climate Change
A three-day United Nations conference was held in Davos/CH in early October on the subject of tourism and climate change. In a joint statement the participants urged action by the tourism sector to face climate change and reduce emissions.
Negative CO2 balance in the Alpine region
The Alps have the potential to become a model region for climate protection. And yet today, on a global comparison, every inhabitant of the Alps is contributing disproportionately to the greenhouse gas emissions affecting the climate.
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.
Europe's highest toilets
This summer two public toilets were installed at an altitude of 4 260 m on the French side of the Mont Blanc. Every year some 30,000 climbers head up the Alps's highest mountain.
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.
Re-ordering back issues of "Mountain Research and Development"
All the back issues from 2000 to 2006 of "Mountain Research and Development" (MRD), the leading journal devoted to the world's mountains, can now be re-ordered simply and inexpensively.
Successful environmental campaign aimed at protecting the Alps
On August 11 some 40 "high fires" burned throughout the alpine region to draw attention to a sustainable future for the Alps. Fires were lit in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and Kyrgyzstan as a symbol of a better quality of life in the alpine region.
Maps of the Alps available for download from the EURAC Project homepage
The homepage of the project entitled AGRALP - Development of Mountain Areas ( www.eurac.edu/agralp ) has been restructured and greatly expanded to offer some 200 theme-based maps for downloading.
First special edition of the Geo.Alp magazine
The first special edition of the Geo.Alp magazine is dedicated to the papers contributed to the 8th International Symposium on the Cultural Heritage in the Mining and Geo-Sciences, which was held in Schwaz in northern Tyrol/A in 2005.
Mountain Wilderness: 20 years of mountain protection work worldwide
The mountain protection organisation Mountain Wilderness celebrated its 20th anniversary on 31 July and 1 August with an ascent of Mont Dolent in the Mont Blanc mountain range.
Alpine Convention: First Report on the State of the Alps focuses on transport and mobility
The Alpine Convention has just published the first issue in its new series of publications entitled "Reports on the State of the Alps".
Acqua alta alpina - Conference and trade fair on climate change
The organisers of acqua alta alpine invite politicians, experts and interested laymen and women to a conference in Salzburg/A from 24 to 30 October which focuses on climate change and its impact on the Alpine region.
International workshop series "Disseminating Knowledge - Networking People" New technologies give a boost to local culture and tradition
CIPRA successfully pursued its international workshop series on "Disseminating Knowledge - Networking People" with numerous events in May and June.
International workshop series "Disseminating Knowledge - Networking People" Transport and visitor management in mountain areas
On May 10 and 11 CIPRA International and CIPRA Slovenia organised a workshop on the topic of "Transport and Visitor Management in Mountain Areas". It became clear already with the first contributions that there are no straightforward answers when it comes to the relationship between transport development and regional development. There are areas of the Alps which do well economically despite being difficult to access.
International workshop series "Disseminating Knowledge - Networking People" Rural-urban co-operation: A challenge for the Alpine region
The eighth workshop in the series on "Disseminating Knowledge - Networking People" was held in Autrans on June 4 and 5 and focused on the subject of regional concepts and rural-urban co-operation. The organisers, CIPRA France and the further education organisation Association de Formation des Ruraux aux Activités du Tourisme, provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on the shift in relations between rural and urban areas.
What's new on www.cipra.org/zukunft
Brig, Klagenfurt and Chiavenna: Workshop documentation is now online The workshop on "The Forestry Sector in Regional Policy - Options for Sustainable Development in the Alpine Region" organised by the Further Education in Forestry and Landscape jointly with CIPRA was held in Brig/CH on March 28 and 29.
Global know-how transfer: Workshop in the Ukraine and international further education programme
One of the aims of Future in the Alps is to make the findings gained from the project available to mountain regions beyond the Alps, too. To this end, CIPRA, together with the international organisation Green Dossier, held a workshop in the Ukraine from 31 May to 2 June on solving conflicts in protected areas.
CIPRA's 3rd Alpine Report presents the shapers of the future
In its 3rd Alpine Report, to be published in autumn 2007, CIPRA is making the results of Future in the Alps available to a broad public.
DYNALP² supports the implementation of projects
The closing date for submitting projects seeking co-funding as part of DYNALP² expired on June 29. DYNALP² is a project launched by the Alliance in the Alps network of municipalities in 2006 and it is being financed by the MAVA Foundation for Nature Conservation.
International Workshop: Services for people living in rural mountain areas
The next workshop of the international series "Disseminating knowledge - connecting people" of Future in the Alps is dedicated to the topic of innovation, community use and participation relating to services for people living rural mountain areas.
Gymnaestrada 07: Exemplary sustainability
"SUSPORT" (SUstainibility & SPORT) is the name given to the environmental and sustainability concept for organisers of sporting events which has been drawn up by the organisers of the World Gymnaestrada 2007 together with the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Festival 2007.
NENA: getting together, exchanging views and setting up an enterprise network
Through its NENA Project, CIPRA International is pursuing the goal of setting up a network of innovative and sustainable enterprises in the Alpine region. To strengthen this Alpine-wide network and plan future action programmes together, a large-scale event is to be held in Bregenz/A from 26 to 28 September.
New publications: Risk management and 100 years of Géographie Alpine
The five chapters of the current edition of the Revue de Géographie Alpine look at risk management systems of urban alpine areas as well as early warning systems and crisis management strategies at regional policy level.