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Climate and small water cycles (FR)

Solutions for the new water paradigm

Report: Nature-based Solutions and their Governance Structures for Climate Action in the Alpine Region

This report analyses the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Alpine area to tackle challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss while simultaneously addressing societal challenges.

Climate risks: better to prepare than to wait

Early warning systems for heavy rainfall, prediction models for droughts: the MultiBios project, completed in April 2025, saw biosphere parks from German-speaking countries sharing their experiences in dealing with climate risks. A research team investigated their role in natural hazard management.

Mindful hiking through snow and silence

A snowshoe hike in the Liechtenstein Alps: under the guidance of a hiking guide, young adults experienced a sustainable form of winter sport, practised mindfulness and raised their environmental awareness.

AlpWeek 2024 Report

The AlpWeek 2024 Report highlights the main tools and ideas that were discussed during the AlpWeek. It focuses on the three priorities of the Multi-Annual Work Programme (2023–2030) of the Alpine Conference (MAP): Biodiversity, Climate Action, Quality of Life.

YOALIN wins climate competition

CIPRA’s project received the Clima Now Foundation’s Spotlight Prize, worth CHF 50,000. YOALIN is committed to climate-friendly travel.

Point of view: Let’s plan the energy transition and restoration together!

Alpine spatial planning can help to resolve the contradictions between restoration and the expansion of renewable energy. This requires joint efforts involving the interests of the population and environmental organisations, says Paul Kuncio, Executive Director of CIPRA Austria.

Too much water, too little water: excursion to the Vienna Woods

How do drones detect illegal campfires? How do settlements protect themselves from the next flood? What do forest fires have in common with avalanches? At the end of November 2024, an excursion to the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve by participants in the MultiBios project looked for answers.

FutureForum Alps 2025

“H2O: precious, powerful, scarce”: How is the climate crisis affecting the alpine water resources? What will it take to ensure that we continue to have sufficient water as a habitat and resource in the future? These and other questions will be addressed at the Liechtenstein FutureForum Alps.

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.

Webinars for cities and municipalities

The battle for Alpine water

A revival of the hydropower boom: 70 years ago, many Alpine rivers were dammed for the benefit of power stations, while valuable high valleys were built over. Today, new requirements are threatening their ecological functions. In view of the dwindling glaciers and increasing utilisation demands, a distribution battle is looming.

Getting stones rolling

Workshops, excursions, art cards, podcasts: the results of the CIPRA “SteinReich” project, which focused on drystone walls and cairns, are diverse and tangible.

Protecting Alpine biodiversity

In September 2024, CIPRA launched two innovative Interreg projects: LiveAlpsNature and AlpsLife. These projects are helping to protect biodiversity in the Alps and meet the growing challenges posed by the climate crisis and intensive tourism.

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.

Alarming findings of the Glacier Caravan 2024

Italy's Alpine glaciers are disappearing at a disturbing rate: this is the alarming finding of the Glacier Caravan 2024, organised by the environmental organisation Legambiente in collaboration with CIPRA Italy and the Italian Glaciological Committee.

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.

Alpine huts: the first victims of the climate crisis?

Water shortages, disintegrating mountains and renovation needs: managing Alpine huts has always been difficult, but the climate crisis is making the situation even worse. The Austrian Alpine Association has already issued an “Emergency call from the Alps”.

20,000 climate-friendly kilometres

At the end of June 2024, 35 young people – previously unknown to each other – met in Slovenia. They were part of the Yoalin project, in which 105 (out of over 2,200 applicants) are travelling the Alps this summer in a climate-friendly way using an Interrail ticket.

AlpWeek 2024 in Nova Gorica

Two decades ago, “AlpWeek” was held for the first time in Slovenia as an international event organised by Alpine organisations. It will return there from 23 to 25 September 2024.

Young people’s demands for a good life in the Alps

Environmental protection, car-free mobility and better work-life balance: these were the political demands of young people from Germany, France, Slovenia and Liechtenstein at the end of the CIPRA “Alpine Compass” project.

Healthy Alps, healthy people

What risks and side effects does the climate crisis have for our health? How can we best treat the symptoms? These are the questions explored in AlpsInsight no. 111, published in June 2024.

Green light for Nature Restoration in the EU

The majority of EU environment ministers voted in favour of the Nature Restoration Law on 17 June 2024. The decisive factor was the courageous and foresighted last-minute approval by Austria's Environment Minister.

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.

A management model for Jelovica

Restoring a damaged forest and other good practices: The JeloviZa project implemented a management model for a sensible natural area in Slovenia.

After the flood

What role could biosphere reserves play in dealing with climate risks? This was the subject of an international workshop organised by the MultiBios project in Bad Kleinkirchheim/A at the beginning of April 2024, which included a site visit to the Gegendtal valley that was affected by heavy rainfall and flooding two years ago.

Point of view: European elections 2024: why a Swiss citizen would also like to vote

Switzerland’s referendum-based democracy has pitfalls of its own when it comes to environmental and climate policy. There needs to be an overarching corrective, such as neighbouring countries have in their constitutional courts and through the legal institutions of the EU, says Kaspar Schuler – as a Swiss citizen and Executive Director of CIPRA International.

The final glacier melt

Glaciers have been suffering from the consequences of climate change for years, but the latest figures from the Alpine countries are nevertheless alarming: measurements from 2022-23 show that the glaciers in the Alps shrank by more than ever before. A researcher from the Austrian Alpine Association describes the situation as “miserable as hell”.

Guiding visitors, preserving the natural experience

From artificial intelligence and the last kilometre to carrying capacity limits and nudging: the speciAlps podcast series and a webinar delve deeper into the topic of visitor guidance for a wide audience.

Climate protection becomes a human right

A legal milestone for climate protection: on 9 April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Switzerland is violating the human rights of older women because the country is not doing what is necessary to combat global warming.