Austria

The authorisation proceedings have yet to be concluded, but the excavators are already on the move for the building of the Semmering rail tunnel. Austrian politicians have given the project the green light, ignoring loud protests and empty state coffers.

The number of bears in the province of Trento has grown, while the damage they cause has fallen significantly, states the report on bears in the province. But not all is well for Bruin and friends.

Never before have such large quantities of goods been transported through Switzerland as in 2011. The title of "Transit Route Number 1", however, goes to the Brenner Pass.

Austria's checklist for the building of hydroelectric power plants is technically sound, offering transparency for building permits, but no protection for ecologically intact waters.

Unabhängig von Energieimporten zu werden, das hat sich auch das Land Vorarlberg zum Ziel gesetzt. Im Rahmen des von der Österreichischen Raumordnungskonferenz (ÖROK) organisierten STRAT.at plus-Forums wurden heute in Bregenz mögliche Wege in eine neue Energiestrategie diskutiert. Die Internationale Alpenschutzkommission CIPRA forderte dabei eine nachhaltige Wachstumsstrategie für die Regionen.

The EU already has a macro-region strategy for the Danube Region and the Baltic Sea. So why not also for the Alpine Region? At the beginning of July, the Arge Alp Working Group advocated a resolution calling for a "macro-region for the Alps".

Since July Europe's first ever electric bus powered exclusively by solar energy has been operating in Perchtoldsdorf/A. The public transport bus seats up to 35 passengers.

After more than fifty years, the wild cat returned to Austrian forests. To contribute to protection and a better acceptance of this shy animal among people, the Platform on Wildcats was founded in 2009.

In the three provinces of Upper and Lower Austria and Styria interviews with 170 stakeholders were held. People were asked about their knowledge, experience and ideas concerning the connectivity of habitats and possible barriers by using a questionnaire. These interviews aimed at receiving an overview of opinions on this theme as well as information on planned or ongoing projects dealing with ecological connectivity in the region.

All across Austria the tendency to build cableways and other skiing infrastructures inside the boundaries of protected areas and other high-value zones can be observed. The Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) warns against the destruction of landscape and recreational resources in the Alps and demands a framework for a well-balanced territorial planning, in order to preserve the typical Alpine landscape.