Articles

No breathing space in the Alpine regions

As CIPRA South Tyrol has flagged up, EU limits for nitrogen oxides are being massively exceeded in the region. There is an acute need for action, both in South Tyrol and in other Alpine regions. Read More…

Chamonix is the 2015 “Alpine Town of the Year”

Located at the foot of the highest mountain in the Alps, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, the “Capital of Alpinism”, has been awarded the title of “Alpine Town of the Year 2015”, mainly in recognition of its nature and climate protection policies. Read More…

Biodiversity needs bold policy and stringent implementation

Biodiversity is a foundation for human wellbeing. However, strategies for its protection are not implemented effectively and projects often do not have the desired effect. The partners of the international project greenAlps present a series of recommendations for better implementation of existing policies in Alpine countries. Read More…

Mountain Research and Development, Vol 34, No 4, on Family Farming in Mountains

Based on centuries of experience in tackling mountain environments, farming families and communities have developed distinctive forms of institutions and organizational arrangements. This MRD Focus Issue on Family Farming in Mountains addresses the question to what extent these institutions and organizational arrangements have been able to cope with the current multiple challenges. It also explores whether family farming practices have succeeded in generating solutions in combination with new institutional arrangements and policies, and whether this enables family farmers in mountains to benefit from new opportunities.. The geographical range of papers in this issue reaches from Italy to Ukraine, Slovakia, China, Bolivia, and Spain. Read More…

Criticism of Alpine traffic policies in Brussels

Short-sighted, inadequate, inconsistent: a recently published study commissioned by the European Parliament questions the policies and projects intended to shift freight transport onto rail. Why European support for the Lyon-Turin link is crumbling and why the Swiss electorate will have the last word. Read More…

CIPRA presents pioneers of sustainable living

Lifestyles and economies that use fewer resources require new thinking and action that go beyond narrow limits and consumerism. This is the conclusion of the CIPRA annual conference held in Annecy, France. Read More…

French Alps now almost networked

The French regions of Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur have for the first time enshrined migration routes for plants and animals in legislation – a first in the French mountains. Read More…

Alpine policy put to the test

The Macro-Region Alps opens up new possibilities for co-operation. CIPRA’s calls over the years for more participation and implementation may yet be acted upon. International policy for the Alps is the focus of the latest issue of SzeneAlpen. Read More…

Macro-region Alps: get involved!

The European strategy for the Alps could compensate for the shortcomings of the Alpine Convention, says Claire Simon, Executive Director of CIPRA International. Now, during the consultation phase, is an opportunity to participate and demand sustainability. Read More…

Alpine policy put to the test

With the development of a macro-regional strategy Europe’s attention is increasingly turned to the Alps – at least for the present. The CIPRA publication SzeneAlpen focuses on the events. Read More…

How policies can enable biodiversity

From 13 – 15 October 2014, the conference “How Policy can enable Biodiversity” will highlight opportunities for supporting biodiversity at the international and the local level. The conference, which will be held in Chambéry/F, will also present the findings of the greenAlps project. Read More…

Express tourism on the Eiger

The North Face of the Eiger in the Bernese Oberland is an inspiration for every mountaineer. A new railway project is now intended to make the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains even more accessible. Swiss environmental groups are, however, critical of the project. Read More…

Preserving landscapes through smarter location choices

Ever more families in the Alps are realising their dream of a house in the country that is not too far from the city. This brings with it problems such as urban sprawl and high mobility costs. An online calculator can now show whether such a move is worth it. Read More…

Point of view: Preserving the strongholds of the Alps

Dozens of development projects are simmering in the drawers of investors from Slovenia to France. It is thus even more important to sustain existing protected areas, says Katharina Conradin, member of the executive board of CIPRA International and executive director of Mountain Wilderness Switzerland. Read More…

Signal fires against transit traffic

Transit traffic over the main Alpine crossings is steadily increasing. Projects such as a second tube for the Gotthard road tunnel are increasing the attractiveness of road transport for goods. This year’s CIPRA action, “Fire across the Alps”, takes aim at this trend. Read More…

Ski tourism: an insatiable hunger

Gigantic artificial lakes, myriads of snow cannons, secret forest clearances. Ski areas are continuing to expand in all Alpine countries, often using questionable methods and concepts. Below are three examples. Read More…