Articles
Caucasus Conference documentation available online
The three-day conference "Nature Protection in the Caucasus" was held in Berlin/D from 9 to 11 March 2006.
New alpMedia dossier - "Ecological Networks"
On 7 and 8 November 2005 representatives of the eight member states of the Alpine Convention attended a seminar on the creation of an ecological network of protected areas to debate the possibilities for establishing an ecological network spanning the Alps. The alpMedia dossier entitled "Ecological Networks" drawn up on that occasion provides an overview of the instruments that play an important role in the establishment of ecological networks at the global, pan-European, European and national levels.
Workshops of the Alps-Carpathian co-operation project
The Alpine Network of Protected Areas is organising two international workshops as part of the co-operation project between the Alps and the Carpathians. The first workshop entitled Integrated Management of Protected Areas is to be held at the Mala Fatra National Park in Slovakia from 1 to 3 June.
Skiers: a species on the verge of extinction?
A new study by WWF Italy shows that snowfall in the Italian Alps has decreased by 20% over the past thirty years and looks at the consequences. The tourism industry, which has been a cash cow for many alpine regions, has come to rely exclusively on artificial snow installations in many cases.
Alpine Enterprise network to promote sustainability-oriented enterprises
Together with nine partners from all the alpine countries CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (Schaan/FL), has set itself the aim of establishing an alpine-wide network of small and medium-sized businesses as part of the NENA Project and promote sustainability-oriented enterprises. The idea of an alpine-wide network of enterprises came about as part of CIPRA's Future in the Alps project.
Signing of the Apennines Convention
On 24 February the Italian Apennine mountain range was endowed with a new protection and management instrument following the signing of the Apennines Convention at the political level.
Perception of the Alps in European cultural history
As a research report the book Die Alpen! Les Alpes! published by Jon Mathieu and Simona Boscani Leoni looks at the way in which the Alps have been perceived in European cultural history since the Renaissance. The research project comprises a Swiss and an international section and proceeds from the assumption that the Alpine discourse differs more from one country to the next than was previously thought.
Trucks nose-to-tail on the Brenner, with or without rail tunnel
A study by the Swiss traffic research institute progtrans on plans for a Brenner railway tunnel has called into question the purpose of the project. Even if the base tunnel were to be completed by 2015, the number of trucks on the Brenner would increase by 2,000 a day by 2025.
Montagnalibri - The mountain book exhibition of the Trento Film Festival
The Montagnalibri mountain book fair is being held in Trento/I between 29 April and 7 May for the 20th time. Book presentations and meetings, discussions and round tables with authors, mountaineers and connoisseurs of Alpine history are to be held daily.
Piedmont mountain population demands its rights
In Turin/I on 22 February representatives of civilian society from the mountain regions of the Piedmont presented their signed Piemonte Alpine Treaty. The document is the result of intensive debate and discussions, and denounces the political, economic and cultural discrimination of the Piedmont mountain regions compared with the power centres in the pre-Alps and cities.
Two new publications on the subject of climate change
The Mountain Research Initiative has published two new English publications on the subject of climate change.
Sustainable Winter Olympics in Turin?
Back when Turin was running as a candidate to host the Winter Olympics, Piedmont representatives of environmental associations criticised the candidature for its lack of environment-related issues.
Cesana Torinese/I: first community with environment and ethics certification
The Italian mountain community of Cesana Torinese, near Sestriere, has received an award for its efforts aimed at improving the quality of life of its citizens. The community's ethics programme, which it developed specially, has been certified in accordance with the guidelines of international standard SA 8000 (Social Accountability).
International event on the management of protected areas
The Third International Conference on Monitoring and Management of Visitor Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas is to be held in Rapperswil/CH from September 13th to 17th.
New publication on regional development and landscape change in the Alps
The publication "Regional Development and Cultural Landscape Change in the Alps" features results from the completed REGALP research project, which was funded by the European Commission under the 5th Framework Programme.
Glacier data from outer space
With the aid of new satellites glaciologists in Zurich are now able to study the world's ice regions with greater precision than before. The results of the data surveys are not encouraging: the Alps' glaciers are melting at a much faster rate than previously thought. Major changes have been noted in an increasing number of glaciers. The Zurich glaciologists are definite in their diagnosis: there is now no stopping the shrinkage of alpine glaciers.
Ländergender - cross-border gender mainstreaming
As part of the Interreg IIIA Ländergender Project the governments of Vorarlberg/A, St. Gallen/CH and Liechtenstein plan to pool their efforts aimed at equal opportunities for men and women. The aim is to co-ordinate - and assist with - the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the regional administrations of the Lake Constance Region.
54th mountain film festival in Trento
(27.01.2006) The International Mountain Film Festival is to be held in Trento/I for the 54th time from 29 April to 7 May 2006. This unique festival worldwide is devoted to mountains, exploration and adventure.
South Tyrol reviews subsidy programmes
(27.01.2006) Under the heading of "Objective 2 and Leader+. EU co-financed projects for rural areas" in its 24-page brochure the province of South Tyrol has reviewed the initiatives and projects it has successfully implemented.
Water consumption high despite dry spells
(27.01.2006) According to data from Arpa Piemonte the Piedmont region/IT had only half the amount of its usual rainfall last year (430 mm). The consequences of this dry spell now include a lack of drinking water and low water levels in the region's lakes.
European Charter of Mountain Quality Food Products
(12.01.2006) The European Charter for Mountain Quality Food Products was officially signed in the European Parliament in Brussels on 7 December 2005. The signatories, which include organisations from France, Italy, Switzerland and Slovenia, undertake to protect - and promote the sale of - quality food products from mountain regions.
Carpathian Convention now in force
(12.01.2006) The Carpathian Convention came into force on 4 January following the ratification by the fourth signatory state, Hungary. While the Convention has already been ratified by the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro have yet to do so. The first conference of the contracting parties is to be held in June, and decisions are expected regarding the Convention's work programme.
Swiss FSC wood for Harry Potter
(12.01.2006) The latest volume of Harry Potter (in English) was printed largely on eco-friendly FSC-certified paper from the Swiss Alps. The FSC abbreviation stands for Forest Stewardship Council and is a guarantee of ecologically sound and socially and economically sustainable forestry activities. The use of FSC paper was one of the demands made by J.K. Rowling, the star author of the Harry Potter series.
International Master of Landscape Architecture
(12.01.2006) The Master of Landscape Architecture (IMLA) at the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil/CH is to be expanded in 2006, and will now also be available jointly at the Universities of Nürtingen-Geislingen/D and Weihenstephan/D.
GenderAlp!: Gender-sensitive spatial planning is possible
(15.12.2005) The Interreg IIIB Project "GenderAlp! Spatial Development for Women and Men" has been up and running for a year now. The Land of Salzburg/A as lead partner already has a number of project results to show. "Needs-oriented spatial planning for women and men in Salzburg" is just one of 47 partial projects by GenderAlp!
Increasingly dense network of GMO-free regions
(15.12.2005) The alliance of regions voluntarily committed to dispensing with the use of genetically modified organisms in agro plant cultivation (founded by Upper Austria/A and Tuscany/I in November 2003) now includes 36 members across Europe.
Local governance in mountain regions
(01.12.2005) Around 150 representatives of six mountain regions convened for an exchange of experience and knowledge on the role of local governance in sustainable development at a meeting held in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) from 16 to 18 November. The aim of the conference was to consolidate existing networks and promote sustainable development at community level. Participants from the Central Asian mountain regions of Pamir and Tien Shan, from the Altai, the Carpathians, the Caucasus and the Alps seized the opportunity to exchange their experience and establish contacts for further co-operations.
CIPRA Yearly Symposium 2006: tourism and regional planning in weather stress
(01.12.2005) The 2006 Yearly Symposium of the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) is to be held in Bad Hindelang/D from 18 to 20 May. The Symposium is to focus on the growing threat to alpine regions posed by natural hazards and the impact of the climate change on alpine tourism.
Alpine landscape too bright at night
Swiss researchers have conducted a study to examine the extent to which man-made lighting has penetrated mountain regions since the 1970s. The comparison of satellite imagery shows that areas which previously were lit only in isolated spots - if at all - are now increasingly exposed to night time lighting.
New issue of the Journal of Alpine Research series
The latest issue of the Revue de Géographie Alpine series comprises five specialist articles on a variety of topics. One article examines the causes of flooding and the measures that are necessary to prevent it based on the example of the Isère/F region while another article focuses on sustainable water management in general.