From 28 to 30 May 2026, ALPARC participated in the Forum Alpinum 2026 in Aosta (Italy), the interdisciplinary scientific conference organised by ISCAR bringing together researchers, practitioners and decision-makers from across the Alps. This year’s edition focused on the theme “Alpine communities and territories in a time of glacier loss and climate change”, exploring the environmental, social and territorial implications of ongoing deglaciation in mountain regions.
During the conference, ALPARC presented two posters showcasing ongoing Interreg Alpine Space projects, LiveAlpsNature and AlpsLife. The poster sessions provided valuable exchanges between the perspectives of scientists, Alpine organisations and institutional partners working on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Alps.
In addition, during the General Assembly of AlpPlan, ALPARC had the opportunity to share its past and upcoming work on projects closely linked to the conference theme: LifeAfterGlacier, which ended in 2025 (the final report can be found here), and the AfterAlpineIce project, newly approved Interreg Alpine Space project that will officially start in September 2026. This project will involve several Alpine protected areas and will develop innovative strategies for the monitoring, conservation and communication of new ecosystems emerging in deglaciated areas.
The several parallel sessions dedicated to environmental change, climate adaptation and governance priorities in Alpine territories offered an overview of the current hot research topics and precious insights on the role that protected areas can play in addressing these issues.
The Forum Alpinum 2026 was thus a great opportunity to strengthen important connections with colleagues from across the Alpine arc, share project results and engage with the scientific community around one of the most pressing challenges facing the Alps today. Looking forward to continuing these exchanges, we thank ISCAR and its partners for the excellent organisation!
AlpsLife and LiveAlpsNature are co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Space programme, which supports cross-border cooperation projects between seven Alpine countries.
© cover photo: ALPARC
