Articles
Fire and flames across the Alps
On 11 August 2018 the “Fire across the Alps” will be lighting up peaks and valleys for the thirtieth time. The idea behind the anniversary fires is to draw attention to climate change.
Alpine Convention against the Alemagna motorway
In recent years there have been several attempts to reintroduce the Alemagna motorway from Venice to Munich onto the European agenda. The Permanent Committee of the Alpine Convention has now adopted a resolution against this new transalpine motorway.
Then there were two...
After the rejection by the Swiss city of Sion, there remain just two candidates in the Alps for the 2026 Winter Olympics. But here too the final word has yet to be spoken. (Update: Two days after the publication of our newsletter, the city of Graz/A has also dropped out as a candidate for the 2026 Olympics. The Austrian Olympic Committee withdrew. This leaves only one Olympic candidature from the Alps.)
Tourism: two sides of the same coin
Caught between the difficulties of growth and the quest for sustainability, tourism has a polarising effect. At the end of May 2018 over 200 participants at a conference in Bled, Slovenia discussed how Alpine tourism and the quality of life can complement one another. The event was staged by CIPRA together with the “Alliance in the Alps”.
Point of view: The tourism dilemma
Travel threatens the very values upon which tourism in the Alps depends, creating a real dilemma. Sustainable mobility in tourism is not simply a competitive advantage, but a “must”, states Barbara Wülser, deputy director of CIPRA International.
New strength for the Alps
In June 2018 Kaspar Schuler took over the leadership of CIPRA International, based in Schaan, Liechtenstein, with changes also made to the executive board.
Wolves: we need to debate values openly
No animal can match the wolf when it comes to media attention. Sensation often obscures our view of the essential. Various initiatives in the Alpine region are dedicated to improving the image of the wolf.
Point of view: The Alpine community must not forget the refugees!
While Eusalp wants to bring together the Alpine regions, migrants are dying on the borders between the Alpine countries. Francesco Pastorelli, Director of CIPRA Italy, asks what has happened to our hospitable, solidarity-based, tolerant Europe?
Thinking ahead together
Sustainable development needs commitment on the part of society. With its theme of «Social Innovation», CIPRA International’s 2017 Annual Report puts people at the centre of change.
How ideas grow and prosper
Marko wants to move to the countryside, but he lacks courage and prospects. Susanne wonders what to do with the many empty buildings. In the project alpMonitor, CIPRA shows how social innovation is preparing the way for the future.
Caught between the season and home
The winter season in the Alps is at an end. The mostly foreign seasonal workers have worked hard for others’ holidays. Initiatives in France and Switzerland are providing ideas on how to improve their situation.
The Brenner Pass: transit trouble
The year 2017 saw record numbers of trucks crossing the Brenner Pass. Now there is an opportunity to find a solution to the problem.
Rejuvenation of mountain farms
Fewer and fewer young people want to become farmers. If no one is willing to inherit and take on the running of a farm, it will close. There is a lack of both recognition and incentives – from EU policy through to searching for partners.
Between the desire for relaxation and the pressure for development
Few topics provoke such heated debates as Alpine tourism. At the end of May 2018 CIPRA International and the «Alliance in the Alps» network of municipalities will be providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions in Bled, Slovenia.
Departure time for helicopters
At a time of declining winter tourism, heli-skiing brings in extra income. While sports enthusiasts might pay a few hundred euros, nature pays a high price.
Bogs – a way out of the climate swamp
One hectare of bog can store as much CO2 as a car produces in a year. The Alps suffer from some of the world’s heaviest traffic – yet fewer and fewer intact bogs remain.
How intact ecosystems improve our quality of life
Nature provides us with enormous benefits. The AlpES project draws on the concept of ecosystem services in order to record these in the Alpine regions and increase their appreciation.
Solutions for borderless commuter mobility
Traffic jams, convoy controls, fine dust pollution and the Brenner base tunnel: while the problems of transit and goods traffic accumulate on political agendas, commuter cars remain stuck in queues.
What now for the Alpine strategy?
Since January, the Austrian federal state of Tyrol has been chairing the European strategy for the Alps. This year will see a decision on how the strategy will be implemented in practice.
Prospects for young people
Like many other rural areas, the Koroška region of northern Slovenia also has to battle against depopulation. Various measures and ideas now aim to persuade young people to stay.
Point of view: Skiing, adieu!
Winter is here and in many ski resorts the snow cannons are running at full blast. Yet the number of skiers is in decline, making it hard to justify the immense investments made with the aim of expanding ski areas. It is time to realise that skiing is not a business model with a future, says Katharina Conradin, President of CIPRA International.
Poisoned playgrounds
A study proves the presence of pesticides on children's playgrounds in South Tyrol. The provincial government has taken up a defensive posture.
Awards for attractive, well-built constructions
At the end of October 2017 in Bern, Switzerland, Constructive Alps crowned the winning projects, demonstrating that Alpine architecture can not only be pleasing on the eye, but sustainable too.
The Alps as the focus of climate policy
Temperatures in the Alps are rising faster than the global average. The search for solutions is not limited to the World Climate Conference being held in Bonn, Germany.
Underestimated soil
We cannot breathe it, we cannot drink it, and yet it forms the very basis of our lives: soil feeds us, is home to us, protects us. Why has its importance hardly been recognised until today?
Point of view: Municipalities as drivers for sustainable development
Sustainable development cannot be prescribed by law: it needs local people to put it into effect. Municipalities have a key role here, says Jean Horgues-Debat, the newly elected President of CIPRA France.
Society’s demands mark the landscape
Conflicting needs and exaggerated expectations collide when it comes to spatial planning. Its role needs to be rethought, with a move away from overall planning and a shift towards guidance and awareness-raising. This was the tenor of the CIPRA Annual Conference held on 29 and 30 September 2017 in Innsbruck, Austria.