Projects
Voices along the Via Alpina
The Via Alpina has been connecting people, cultures and landscapes across the Alps for 25 years now. A podcast series tells the story of the project, highlights the challenges and opportunities of long-distance hiking and raises awareness of sustainable tourism in the Alps.
Caretaker Tourism
The Alpine Climate Board (ACB) is a body of the Alpine Convention that is committed to climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps by 2050, with the “Tourism” pathway also in this sector. Within the framework of “Caretaker Tourism”, certain organizations and individuals assume responsibility for developing climate-friendly and sustainable tourism strategies.
OUT4INGOV: Shaping youth migration
The emigration of young people poses major challenges for many Alpine regions. The OUT4INGOV project is working with local organisations to develop innovative approaches to better manage youth migration and raise awareness of the issue in society.
GOVQoL – Empowering Alpine communities to improve their quality of life
Alpine communities’ quality of life (QoL) is currently facing several challenges such as the depopulation of remote areas, reduced provision of services of general interest, the impacts of climate change, and mistrust of governance. These issues are not only reshaping the Alpine territories but also impacting the daily lives of its inhabitants. Despite the urgent need for responsive and inclusive governance, there is currently a significant gap in understanding and addressing QoL at the local level which our project aims to address.
Yoalin (Youth Alpine Interrail)
Since 2018, 100 to 150 people aged between 18 and 27 were invited to apply for a Yoalin ticket every year. Equipped with an Interrail Global Pass, they are able to discover the Alps in a climate-friendly way using public transport. They also become part of the active community, which is constantly growing.
FutureForum Alps Liechtenstein
The FutureForum Alps is a series of events on various topics in the field of sustainability in the Alpine region.
Climate Bridges network in action
New momentum for climate protection and cooperation in the Western Balkans: the “Climate Bridges Network in Action” project is launching an action plan to revitalise the newly established Western Balkans network. Together with local organisations, the project partners are developing a wide range of measures for both the environment and the climate.
CultureAlps
When art and culture give climate protection a fresh lick of paint: the Erasmus+ project “CultureAlps: connect, share, act!” opens up new ways of climate communication and collaboration.
LiveAlpsNature
The LiveAlpsNature project contributes to the preservation of biodiversity in Alpine protected areas, which are increasingly being used for nature and health tourism. To this end, the project team is developing new visitor guidance concepts and leisure activities and integrating them into digital platforms.
AlpsLife – observe globally, act locally
The successful protection of biodiversity in the Alps is only sustainable through Alpine-wide monitoring and management. This is the aim of the AlpsLife project.
Climate-friendly streetscapes
Whether travelling by car, public transport, bicycle or on foot, roads and their immediate surroundings are probably the most important part of our daily journeys. Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, they can become a problem because they increase the heat island effect and seal the ground. The project, based in the Alpine Rhine Valley, aims to make road spaces fair, climate-friendly and health-promoting.
Nature-based solutions and their governance structures in the Alpine region
In view of the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) is becoming increasingly important. On behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency, ifuplan (lead) and CIPRA International are preparing a report on “Nature-based solutions and governance structures in the Alpine region”. The aim of the report is to analyse the potential of various NbS in the Alpine region and the governance mechanisms behind them that ensure their success. Based on this, their transferability to other Alpine regions will be analysed and recommendations for action formulated.
Ars vivendi
[Project completed] How can the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be learned and taught? In the project «ars vivendi» a didactic tool for the Global Agenda 2030 is being developed.
DINAMO
[Project competed] In many rural areas of the Alps, public transport services are inadequate for daily needs and tourism development. In some remote mountain regions, this is one of the reasons why there is a considerable amount of car traffic, especially on weekends, public holidays and during rush hours. There are various reasons for this, including the high cost of public transport solutions due to low population density, inadequate public transport options (such as timetables, accessibility, connectivity, travel time and costs) and political and social preferences in favour of private motorised transport.
LISTEN
The LISTEN project is analysing the use of space in suburbs on the basis of three pilot regions in Belgium, Sweden and Austria. CIPRA Lab GmbH is working together with partners from research and regional stakeholders.
Haus am Katzenturm Association
Along with the association of the same name in Feldkirch/A, the “Haus am Katzenturm” networks NGOs from the environmental and nature conservation sector in the Lake Constance region and makes their topics accessible to a broad public.
EmpowerLIFE – simply do it
Simply do it is the motto of the EmpowerLIFE project launched in 2023. It supports people in realising their do-it-yourself ideas and plans in relation to climate protection.
speciAlps Podcast
[Project completed] From artificial intelligence to the last kilometre to carrying capacity limits and "nudging": the speciAlps podcast series and a webinar delve into the topic of visitor guidance for a broad audience.
Ground:breaking
Soils are among the most important resources we have. CIPRA's new Ground:breaking project shows why desealing land benefits everyone and what is needed at political, legal and local level in the Alpine region to achieve this.
Central Mountains
The Central Mountains project strengthens the transfer of knowledge in and between the Alps and the Carpathians. Together with the project partners, CIPRA International Lab is working for the cross-border and sustainable development of mountain regions in Central Europe.
StoneRich
Stones create life: the SteinReich project aims to raise awareness of valuable elements of the Alpine cultural landscape, such as rock fragment piles and dry stone walls.
Alpine Compass: Youth for quality of life in the Alps
[Project completed] How to improve the life quality of young people in the Alps? The project “Alpine Compass” empowers young people, raises awareness among decisionmakers and strengthen the transnational collaboration.
Trata 2.1
[Project completed] Commuting made easy: The mobility of commuters in the Slovenian industrial area of Trata is to become more environmentally friendly - with the help of experiences from similar projects in the border triangle of Switzerland-Austria-Liechtenstein.
Dialogues on wolves – strengthening shepherds’ networks in the Alps
[Completed] A project that promotes exchanges of knowledge across national and linguistic borders between shepherds in the Alpine region.
Alpine Changemaker Network
The «Alpine Changemaker Network» is an international team drawn from NGOs, academia, social innovation and regional development organisations. We wish to strengthen Alpine society and we envision the Alps as a thriving ecosystem, one that offers an appealing life both to ourselves and to future generations. We combine regionally developed knowledge, social innovation practices, scientific teaching and researching skills, project management skills and much more besides – and we want to collaborate, share and learn!
Via Alpina Youth – walking the change
The Via Alpina long-distance-trail has been connecting all of the Alpine countries for over 20 years now. The project “Via Alpina Youth – walking the change” spreads knowledge, ideas and opportunities on sustainable lifestyles, inclusion, environmental protection and climate change along the trail.
Bon Appétit!
[Project completed] From the field to the plate: In the "Bon Appétit!" project, young people dig into the earth, taste and process regional products and visit farms in their region. They experience how the food on their plate shapes the landscape around them.
Alpine Climate Camps
[Project completed] Recharge your batteries, experience glaciers, go by bike: The Alpine Climate Camps project combines mountain sports and climate protection while encouraging young climate activists.
JeloviZA
[Project completed] The JeloviZA project aims to improve the condition of ecosystems and conserve certain species in the Slovenian Natura 2000 site Jelovica. Six project partners are working on a management plan for the area, which will include nature conservation, tourism and regional development.
Climate Bridges
[Project completed] The Climate Bridges project strengthens cooperation for transnational climate protection in the Western Balkans, from Croatia via Bosnia-Herzegovina to Albania. Together with other NGOs, CIPRA Lab is setting up a network platform for this purpose.