Alps / Europe

Davos, Switzerland's highest town, is working towards a more climate-friendly local policy.

Two events focusing on regional development and management are scheduled for the beginning of 2007 as part of the workshop series entitled "Future in the Alps: Getting Knowledge Across - Networking People" organised by CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps.

The Swiss utility BKW FMB Energie AG is currently conducting trials scheduled to last until this summer on a high-alpine solar power station.

The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) has gone online with an expert database comprising almost 5,000 entries on people in governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as private groups who are involved in research into mountain regions in general and the impact of climate change in particular.

The Adriazug pilot project has been launched in a bid to reduce the burden of HGV traffic on transit routes through the Alps.

On November 9 the environment ministers of the alpine states convened for the Alpine Conference, which is held every two years.

The Alpine Convention as such is not transferable to other regions. However many of its principles and the experience gained with the Alpine process in particular have proved of value to the sustainable development of non-alpine mountain regions.

CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, is organising an international workshop series under the motto of "Circulating Knowledge - Networking People".

The Swiss National Fund Programme on "Landscapes and Habitats of the Alps" recently published its synthesis report (de/fr) on the research focus entitled "Land Use and Adding Values".

Two new ethnographic films have been released as part of the Swiss National Fund Programme on "Landscapes and Habitats in the Alps".