Das Netzwerk Alpiner Schutzgebiete
ALPARC is the lead partner of two innovative Alpine Space projects: ALPBIONET2030 and YOUrALPS. These two projects have been running since 2016. The projects outputs and results are now ready to be presented and discussed during the projects’ final events from October 8th to 11th in Chamonix and Chambéry (FR).
ALPBIONET2030: Protecting habitats and species by enhancing ecological connectivity is the main focus of this project. In this context, transnational cooperation is the key to harmonising the interventions required for nature protection. Moreover, it will develop over time the proper planning and tools needed to ensure effective and efficient ecological connectivity for biodiversity conservation.
The ALPBIONET Final Conference will be a unique opportunity to get to know the project results and approaches and to further discuss their implementation in day-to-day work for Alpine biodiversity and the protected areas.
The project’s website can be found here.
Registrations are still open and are available here.
YOUrALPS: Educating young people to sustainable development in their Alpine territories is a prerequisite for a lively future in the mountains. On the scientific basis of Mountain-oriented Education, the partners of the project have developed a lot of activities to adopt innovative approaches in school to favour young people’s understanding of their changing environment and to re-connect them to the natural and cultural heritage of the Alps.
The YOUrALPS Final Conference will be the perfect occasion to learn more about the innovative pedagogical approaches that have been developed in the last three years and to exchange with teachers, students and educators from different educational backgrounds.
The project’s website is available here.
Registrations are closed, but if you wish to take part to the conference please contact us by email: info@alparc.org
A peatland is a particular type of wetland that can be found in naturally intact areas and is generally known for storing greenhouse gasses (GHGs). In the scientific language it is a GHGs ‘sink’. In fact, worldwide peatlands store more carbon than all other vegetation types combined. However, due to climate change and other external conditions, a peatland might turn into a ‘source’ of GHGs, releasing CO2 and methane in the atmosphere.
This is what happened to the Monte Bondone’s peatland (Italy, 1563m above sea level) due to temperature increases. This ecosystem was studied for three years by Italian and Irish researchers that discovered that the wetland released a considerable amount of CO2 in the atmosphere (J.W.M. Pullens et al., 2016)1 . This finding is in contrast with what has been observed to date in most of European peatlands. The cause? Mostly the shortening of the snow period, a rise in temperatures and a decrease in precipitation.
Taking action
Peatlands are key habitats contributing to climate change mitigation. However, some of them are threatened by human exploitation and climate change. For these reasons, different states in Europe are taking action in order to enhance peatlands’ ‘sink’ function and to avoid them turning into CO2 ‘sources’. EUROPARC Federation insists that restoring peatlands is a powerful means to fight against climate change and pollution being that peatlands are “the most efficient terrestrial carbon-sink in the world”.
In the Alps
The LIFE project “Tourbières du Jura” aims at restoring 60 peatlands distributed in 16 Natura 2000 sites in the Doubs and Jura departments. Different restoring interventions that have been carried out are giving positive results that will ultimately benefit a surface of more than 600 hectares. These results will be presented on Thursday 14th November 2019 during a conference dedicated to Alpine wetlands in Annecy (FR).
The regional government of the Bavarian Alps is carrying out operations (singe 1998) for the restoration of endangered peatlands by means of increasing the amount of water and removing young trees and bushes.
And elsewhere
Together with nine partners from Poland, Germany and the Baltic states the LIFE Climate Mitigation project “Peat Restore” aims at rewetting degraded peatlands for an area of 5,300 hectares to restore their natural function as carbon sinks.
The managing organizations of the protected areas of the North of England are collectively investing an unprecedented amount of money and energies for the restoration of damaged peatlands during the conservation works season 2019-2021.
Sources
The article from EUROPARC:
https://www.europarc.org/news/2019/07/restoring-peatlands/
The measures taken in the Bavarian Alps:
https://www.cipra.org/en/good-practice/peatland-restoration-in-the-region-of-the-alps-in-bavaria
The LIFE project “Tourbières du Jura”:
http://www.life-tourbieres-jura.fr/
Conference on Alpine wetlands – 14 November 2019 in Annecy (FR):
“Zones humides de montagne, « Amortisseurs » et 1eres victimes des changements globaux ?”
The LIFE project “Peat Restore”:
https://life-peat-restore.eu/en/
The commitment of English protected areas’ managing organization to preserve peatlands:
https://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/the-latest/recent-news/moorlife-2020/the-conservation-works-season-of-20192021-is-set-to-be-the-biggest-yet-for-peatland-restoration
[1]. J.W.M. Pullens et al., 2016, Carbon fluxes of an Alpine peatland in Northern Italy, in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, ELSEVIER.
The aim of Destination Parks was to find a common ground on how to develop and promote a shared vision, strategy and implementation of sustainable forms of tourism in the Alpine protected areas. During the one-year project period, ALPARC organized one online and four in-person meetings. Partners from most of the Alpine countries actively participated in these events amongst others. They represented different kinds of protected area and park networks and thus, a large diversity of interests, ideas and needs.
The final conference took place in Bern, Switzerland and was hosted by the Swiss Parks Network. ALPARC presented the final report’s main findings and openly discussed with all attendees. In order to highlight the cooperation that emerged (thanks to this project) between Valeurs Parcs, France and the Swiss Parks Network, the evolution of the respective projects and their partnership were presented. It is a very typical example of how the network provides its members with services, and in this case, through the linkage of actors formerly not in contact.
The general outcomes of the conference embraced several ideas on how to continue the cooperation on the project’s goals. It was agreed that it is important to continue the cooperation on sustainable tourism and the role of protected areas. Several leading questions and general assumptions were identified:
A new project or second phase will be proposed on these topics.
Recent studies found that more than 75% of insects have disappeared during the last 30 years in Europe (Vogel, 20181). As they constitute more than 60% of all known animal species, they are an integral part of ecosystems both as pollinators and prey for other animals. This is alarming knowing that it is thanks to insects that our kitchens are full of fruits, vegetables and almost all our food. Indeed, insects have been pollinating year after year the plants that we eat, granting successful harvests and abundance of food. Hence, the dramatically decreasing numbers will have a large impact on human society in the medium to long run.
In this context, future generations are particularly concerned about insects’ disappearance. For this reason, the Interreg project YOUrALPS aimed at raising Alpine youth awareness on the issue. This led to the creation of “The Insect Effect”, a video on the long-term impact of biodiversity loss – and more specifically, the dramatic plunge in insect numbers.
This short film was created and recorded by and with young people from Berchtesgaden National Park (DE). Eleven German kids had the opportunity to spend 4 days training with a professional video maker and an environmental expert to produce the following video:
[1] Vogel Gretchen, “Germany’s insects are disappearing”, in Science, Oct. 18, 2017, https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/germany-s-insects-are-disappearing accessed 23-09-2019
The Alpine protected areas are united in their goal of preserving the natural heritage of the Alps and play a major role in nature conservation due to their unique ecosystems and expertise. There are nearly 1,000 protected areas in the Alps, covering a surface area of over 53,000 km2. This makes up over 28 percent of land under the jurisdiction of the Alpine Convention.
Protected areas are categorized based on their management objectives and protection status. By definition, nature conservation is the core task of protected areas. In addition, there is an increasing need for cooperation with various economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture and forestry. The focus varies depending on the protected area category and management objectives. The integration of protected areas into regional development planning is becoming increasingly important in order to maintain or increase their acceptance by the population.
APAs have a shared geographical base and values that allow them to work together on common Alpine issues. ALPARC cooperates with protected areas to implement concrete actions and projects around its three areas of work: Biodiversity and Ecological Connectivity, Regional Development and Quality of Life and Education for Sustainable Development in the Alps. ALPARC also facilitates the exchange of knowledge and shared experiences between protected areas.
From April 3rd to 4th 2019, ten key Alpine organizations put together AlpWeek Intermezzo, an international event on sustainable development and related Alpine issues. This event was a shorter version of AlpWeek, which is held every four years. Over a period of two days, a total of 60 invited guests from all over the Alps (e.g. Youth Parliament of the Alpine Convention, mayors from Alpine cities and scientists) came together in Innsbruck, Austria to answer the question ‘what is your most relevant concern for the Alps tomorrow’?
In total, three main topics were presented during the conference: land use, mobility and climate change. Each topic was introduced by a guest speaker and was then opened up to debate. The results of each debate session were presented (as recommendations for future action) to the Alpine Convention during the XV Alpine Conference, which occurred in parallel with the event. AlpWeek Intermezzo also featured presentations on 10 projects addressing Alpine issues.
The final conference report is now available and presents crucial information from the topic sessions and project presentations.
Key information from the topic sessions:
Highlights from project presentations:
The complete conference report can be found here.
Species living in mountainous areas depend on unique climate conditions, which vary with elevation, for survival. Climate change is modifying these areas and has already resulted in temperature increases, changes in precipitation patterns and more extreme climatic events such as droughts and heat waves. These changes are already having noticeable effects on Alpine fauna and flora and many international studies approach the question of how affected species are managing to adapt to climate change.
According to a study published in July 2019 in Nature Research, most common species, such as birds and deer, are unable to acclimatize to the speed of the climate change crisis. The report looked at 71 studies across 13 countries to access whether species’ phenological changes or adaptive responses were adequate to deal with climate change. Out of the species studied, almost all species were unable to handle the changes.
Species rely on the timing of biological events to adapt their behavior to new environmental conditions. However, this is becoming a challenge as seasonal shifts are accelerating due to human activities. In the Alps, the early arrival of spring and summer is causing ecosystems to be out of sync, impacting animal reproduction and survival. For example, peak vegetation is happening before Alpine Ibex have their kids in Autumn, resulting in a higher mortality rate for their young. Climate change is also affecting migration patterns, as many species are forced to move upward an average of 100m to deal with rising temperatures. This dangerous lag between the natural world’s ability to adapt is even greater for species that are already threatened by extinction.
“The fact that species struggle to adapt to the current rate of climate change means we have to take action immediately in order to at least halt or decrease the rate” –Viktoriia Radchuk
Human-induced climate changes has already caused irreversible damage to biodiversity. Without drastic cuts in CO2 emissions and habitat restoration, climate change could change the world as we know it.
Climate change impacts on the Alps: https://creamontblanc.org/en/climate-change-and-its-impacts-alps
© photo: Parc naturel régional du Vercors / Jean Andrieux
Culture is part of all aspects of our lives. It incarnates both change and stability and is based on certain values and traditions that play a key role in regional and territorial development. The types of cultural forces present in the Alps and how cultural initiatives can contribute to sustainable development will be the main topics of CIPRA’s 2019 annual conference.
This event is organized by CIPRA Switzerland and CIPRA International. The conference will be interpreted simultaneously in French, Italian, German and Slovenian.
More information on the conference can be found here.
The final event of Destination Parks will take place on September 11, 2019 in Bern Switzerland.
The results of the projects will be presented along with some outstanding good practice examples, before exploring further ways to move ahead on the development of a common Alpine strategy on the future development and promotion of sustainable toursim in protected areas.
Please find the programme here.
Is it possible to make the Alps climate-neutral and resilient by 2050?
The Permanent Secretary of the Alpine Convention lays out concrete actions for the Alpine region to turn this objective reality in its new publication "Climate-Neutral and Climate-Resilient Alps 2050". The publication highlights three central policies, coming from the 25th Alpine Convention: The Declaration of Innsbruck, the Alpine Climate Target System 2050 and the 7th Report on the State of the Alps “Natural Hazard Risk Governance”. The Alpine Climate Target System 2050, prepared by the Alpine Climate Board over the last two years, describes specific actions that must be taken under 12 different sectors to protect the Alps from climate change. The 7th Report on the State of the Alps describes the future for natural hazard risk governance.
The Alpine Convention’s new publication calls for the Contracting Parties to prioritize climate change action and policies to preserve the Alps’ natural heritage. These targets showcase the Alps as being a model for international cooperation and its role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The publication “Climate-Neutral and Climate-resilient Alps 2050" is available here.
Climate Change is threatening our planet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s ‘Special Report’, if global temperatures rise above 1.5 °C (above pre-industrial levels) we will face extreme climate events, a substantial increase in biodiversity loss, and difficulties gathering fresh water.
Climate Change in the Alps
The situation in the Alpine region is even more alarming, with rising temperatures about “twice as large as the global trend” (Brunetti et al., 2009). Furthermore, climate change’s effects are three time stronger in the Alps than the world’s average (OECD, 2007) and gathering fresh water is becoming an increasingly urgent issue. Over 90 percent of glacier volume in the Alps could be lost by 2100. Ice melting has become a symbol of climate change in the Alps, since it is the most visible and easily measured effect of climate change and due to the glaciers’ high importance for the region’s landscapes, ecosystems and economy. ‘The Cryosphere’ review envisages two alarming scenarios in which, depending on the increase in global temperatures, Alpine glaciers may or may not survive.
Alpine States are committed to climate change action and have adopted the Alpine Convention’s ‘Declaration on Climate Change’ (2006) and ‘Action Plan on Climate Change in the Alps’ (2009). Since 2011, “taking action on climate change” has been one of the priorities set during the ‘Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Conference’. This brought about the establishment of the Alpine Climate Board in 2016, which coordinates all climate change-related activities.
Concrete actions in Alpine Protected Areas
Several Alpine protected areas are carrying out concrete actions to deal with the effects of climate change which mainly consist in monitoring and research, adaptation and mitigation measures, promotion, educational activities and dissemination of relevant information to the general public.
In France, the project Alpages sentinelles, started in 2000, studies and measures the effects of climate change on 31 Alpine pastures. The project’s goal is to develop adaptation measures to preserve the traditional pastoral activity in the Alps. It involves the Ecrins National Park, Vanoise National Park, Mercantour National Park, Chartreuse Nature Regional Park, Vercors Nature Regional Park, and Luberon Nature Regional Park. The partners of Alpage sentinelles met last March to analyse the results of 2018 - the warmest year ever recorded since the launch of the project. They agreed that the most effective measure is to manage the Alpine pastures in a way that avoids further stress on the grasslands. Indeed, pastures are already feeling the effects of increasing temperatures, resulting in the depletion of vegetation.
In the same direction, the National Park of Ecrins and the National Park Gran Paradiso launched the LIFE project PastorAlp. Based on a consistent activity of transboundary research, the final output of the project consists of developing a platform of tools to facilitate the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies in the two parks.
The Interreg Alcotra CClimaTT project involves transborder protected areas from France and Italy. The objectives of the project include: gathering more knowledge and understanding of climate change effects; involving and informing the general public; and influencing people’s behaviour toward greater environmental responsibility. Within this framework, the Ente Aree Protette Alpi Marittime and National Park of Ecrins, offered 40,000 euros to eight projects, selected by a jury of experts, that promote a resilient and climate-smart future under the motto “If climate changes… we change as well!”. The winners will implement activities for the mitigation and adaptation to climate change in Alpine areas.
The Festival scientifique “Avec ou sans Glace” is an example of a series of activities held to inform the general public on the effect of climate change in the Alps with specific reference to glaciers melting. The conference organised by the National Park of Vanoise (France) included a ‘geological hike’ to discover the impact of the melting glaciers and a conference where climate change experts interacted with the public.
Apart from informing the general public, protected areas play a key role in carrying out educational activities on climate change effects. For example, the Natural Park of Adamello (Italy), together with a local high school, organised outdoor activities dedicated to pupils under the Interreg project YOUrALPS: The trees in the Alps as a signal of climate change. Students were guided by experts to discover the effects of climate change on forests to better understand the changing ecosystem. In Austria, still under the YOUrALPS project, educational activities were carried out in the Nature Park Geschriebenstein where high school students were confronted with the issue of extreme weather events caused by climate change. During on-field activities, they experimented with climate change adaptation and mitigation measures against floods.
In Slovenia, the Triglav National Park is part of the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve. This initiative is an intergovernmental research programme that establishes a global network of biosphere reserves. This network strives to uphold the balance between people and nature, biodiversity and sustainable development and upkeep of cultural values. This is a great example of the enhancement of an active ‘sink’ of GHGs, which is a strong mitigation measure against climate change.
Moreover, the Berchtesgaden National Park, in Bavaria, is involved in different climate monitoring activities. One of these activities is the Klimamessnetz (Climate monitoring network). It relies on the National park service and the German weather service to track the changes in Alpine climate in the long run and in a large area. Moreover, the National Park is one of GLORIA-EUROPE research sites whose goal is to understand future scenarios we will have to face due to climate change.
Climate Change is producing severe effects on the Alps, but protected areas are fighting to resist.
Protected Areas' Actions:
Festival scientifique “Avec ou sans Glace”
Triglav National Park, the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve
If the climate changes… We change as well!
The Trees in the Alps as a sign of Climate Change
“Draußen unterrichten“– Biodiversity Strategies
Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments
Bibliography
Brunetti et al., 2009, ‘Climate variability and change in the Greater Alpine Region over the last two centuries based on multi-variable analysis’, in International Journal of Climatology
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018, ‘Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 ºC’, as seen in https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/, 25-04-2019
NASA, 2019, ‘Responding to Climate Change’ as seen in https://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/, 26-04-2019
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2007, ‘Climate Change in the European Alps: Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management’, ed. Shardul Agrawala
Zekollari et al., 2019, ‘Modelling the future evolution of glaciers in the European Alps under the EURO-CORDEX RCM ensemble’, in The Cryosphere, volume 13, pp. 1125-1146
The quiet off-season and welcoming Bavarian village of Balderschwang was the host of ALPARC’s latest Council meeting on April 12th and 13th 2019.
The official launch of ALPARC’s new regional platform, ALPARC CENTR’ALPS, was the main topic of the first session of the meeting. The new platform’s aim is to be closer to the protected areas located in the central Alps, to develop new and innovative projects and exchanges and to increase the involvement of new members.
The second session of the meeting was dedicated to the discussions on ALPARC’s overall programme and how to enhance new projects, especially in regards to which strategic positions should be taken on several international guiding topics (as Climate Change, etc). The schedule was thus divided into a general roundtable discussion on ALPARC’s strategy. Two thematic workshops were organized : one focusing on the elaboration of the 2020-2022 ALPARC programme, and the other on a common event to celebrate the ALPARC’s 25th anniversary project within the framework of 2020 IUCN Conference in Marseille.
The next ALPARC council meeting will be held on September 12th and 13th, 2019, in Zernez, Switzerland.