Articles
Short story: The sheet of paper
We present one of the five short stories that won an award in the short story competition as part of the "Reading mountains (Berge lesen)" festival 2023in Vaduz.
Nudging in Alpine tourism
How can visitors to sensitive natural areas in the Alps be encouraged to behave responsibly without either prohibitions or financial incentives? The role of behavioural psychology in this field was discussed by some 150 participants in the webinar entitled “Nudging in Alpine Tourism”, held in September 2023.
Revitalising mountain regions
Trial living in villages, creating meeting spaces, revitalising wastelands: how new ideas can help to get people excited about living in the Alps again.
Flooded mountains
Drought, flooded villages, landslides and landslips: these have all happened in the Alps, but the climate crisis is making natural disasters more likely and preparations for emergencies all the more important. An Alpine-wide research project is therefore investigating the climate resilience of biosphere reserves.
Olympic bobsleigh track at any price
With two years to go until the Olympic Games, construction work on the new bobsleigh track in Cortina/I has not yet begun. No company wants to build it. In the meantime, the IOC is desperately looking for candidates for the 2030 Olympic Games, including Switzerland.
International Glacier Caravan
Six stages through three Alpine countries: this year’s international campaign by the Italian environmental organisation Legambiente, with the participation of CIPRA, condemned the retreat of the glaciers and thus raised awareness of climate change.
Cycling to the glacier
Exactly how mountaineering and climate protection can be combined was shown by a group of cyclists who biked from Lindau/D to the Ochsental Glacier/A at the start of September 2023. Topics along the way ranged from sustainable tourism to hydropower and nature conservation to glacier loss.
Too much, too loud, too crowded
From the tunnel blockade in Hallstatt/A to the protest rally on the Sella Pass/I: civil society is protesting against overtourism in the Alpine regions – and demanding relief for people and the environment.
Desealing land in the Alpine region
Soils are among our most important resources. CIPRA's new project, entitled Ground:breaking, shows why desealing land is of benefit to everyone and what is needed at political, legal and local levels in the Alpine region to achieve this.
Point of view: In nature restoration we trust!
The Nature Restoration Law now obliges all EU member states to restore destroyed nature to a good ecological condition and thus safeguard the stocks of pollinators, natural resources, clean air and clean water. The Alpine region and its agriculture will also benefit, says Serena Arduino, Co-President of CIPRA International.
Where in the Alps is the highest quality of life?
What is quality of life? How and with the help of which indicators can we measure it and why is this important? Quality of life is one of the more complex concepts that concerns everyone of us.
The Alps – a zone of encounters
Who is moving around the Alpine region? Where do the conflict lines run and where do encounters take place? How can we find more climate-friendly routes and which paths might lead to a dead end? Questions like these are posed in the June 2023 issue of CIPRA's themed publication, SzeneAlpen.
Controversial railway tunnel between Turin and Lyon
In mid-June 2023, hundreds of people gathered in the French border town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to protest against the construction of a high-speed rail tunnel between Lyon and Turin. In a public statement, CIPRA France and Mountain Wilderness also criticised the project.
Experience the last of the glaciers
Recharge your batteries, go cycling, visit the glaciers: the Alpine Climate Camps project combines mountain sports with climate protection, further encouraging young climate activists. A bicycle tour in Austria at the beginning of September 2023 and other activities in Switzerland and Italy will draw attention to the disappearing glaciers.
Managing climate risks in biosphere reserves
As an effect of climate change, droughts, floods and other natural hazards are becoming more frequent, sometimes even simultaneously. How can we as a society learn to cope with this and become more resilient in the process? What role can biosphere reserves play in the Alpine region and beyond? With CIPRA participation, a new research project is now looking into these questions.
"Climate protection is health protection"
The health consequences of the climate crisis range from cardiovascular problems through to allergies, infectious diseases and depression. At the first Liechtenstein «Future Forum Alps», held at the end of June 2023, some 140 participants from various Alpine countries discussed measures for climate and health protection.
Point of view: Avoiding transport collapse together
As regards the growing volume of individual and transit traffic, it can be stated that neither regional nor national perspectives will lead to solutions. We have to find them together, because the Alps lie in the midst of Europe. This geographical truism is central to an understanding of transport policy problems in the Alps so as to avoid transport collapse, says Kaspar Schuler, Executive Director of CIPRA International.
Alpine Basecamp for good ideas
Revitalising valleys, identifying with landscapes, climbing more sustainably, using old irrigation systems innovatively, eating radically and locally: 18 participants honed such project ideas at the second “Alpine Changemaker Basecamp” (ACB), held in Silandro/I at the beginning of July 2023.
Ten years of the CIPRA Youth Council
What do young people need for a good life in the Alps? The CIPRA Youth Council (CYC) celebrated its tenth anniversary at the beginning of July 2023 with a panel discussion, a podcast workshop and a joint hike.
Lawsuits and laws for climate protection
Climate protection laws define clear climate targets, but for many the measures set out are insufficient. Climate lawsuits are increasing political pressure in the Alpine countries.
Hidden CO2 emitters
Climate protection measures are expensive, which is why they are regularly criticised and rejected. How then can it be that at the same time the Alpine states are spending billions on environmentally harmful subsidies?
Commuting made easy
Commuting to work in healthier, more environmentally friendly ways: this is the goal set by the Slovenian municipality of Škofja Loka and local companies in the Trata 2.1 project, inspired by the experiences of corporate mobility management in the Alpine Rhine Valley.
Avoiding mountains of trash
Litter is not only found in seas or urban areas: littering is also increasingly impinging on mountain areas. Initiatives and campaigns are motivating people to collect and avoid litter in the Alps.
Winter tourism in the climate crisis
Dry winters have made natural snow increasingly rare and artificial snow ever more expensive: the report “Nevediversa 2023” analyses the impact of the climate crisis on ski resorts in Italy.
Point of view: The Alps are not an endless source of energy!
Solar, wind and hydropower are helping us become less dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. This can also be done without sacrificing the last biodiversity hotspots in the Alps, says Isabella Helmschrott, Executive Director of CIPRA Switzerland.
Wanted: innovative ideas for the Alps
Young and committed people can now apply for the second “Alpine Changemaker Basecamp” in July 2023, where they can further develop and optimise their project ideas in a professional environment.
IOC favours bobsleigh solution abroad
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formally notified the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) that there is no need to build a new bobsleigh track for the Winter Olympics.
Travelling with a clear conscience
The fifth edition of YOALIN started in April 2023. 150 Yoalin tickets are waiting for young people between 18 and 27 to travel the Alps in a climate-friendly way by train and bus. In addition, they are invited to the kick-off in Slovenia, to three hub events during the summer and to the final event in Switzerland.
Expedition for future female glacier researchers
Stay overnight on the glacier for over a week, climb peaks, carry out scientific experiments: the “Girls* on Ice” project offers girls an awe-inspiring summer experience.
Alpine Policy 2023: the Slovenian-Swiss year
This year, Slovenia and Switzerland will play a decisive role in shaping international cooperation between states and regions in the Alps: Slovenia is taking over the presidency of the Alpine Convention, while Switzerland is the first non-EU country to chair the Eusalp, the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region.