Italy

Despite rising temperatures and doubts about profitability, some Alpine regions are building new winter sports facilities. But who will pay the bill?

Transit traffic over the main Alpine crossings is steadily increasing. Projects such as a second tube for the Gotthard road tunnel are increasing the attractiveness of road transport for goods. This year’s CIPRA action, “Fire across the Alps”, takes aim at this trend.

Gigantic artificial lakes, myriads of snow cannons, secret forest clearances. Ski areas are continuing to expand in all Alpine countries, often using questionable methods and concepts. Below are three examples.

The Gotthard rail tunnel is due to open in 2016, with the aim of transporting the majority of goods between Italy and Switzerland by train. But the necessary infrastructure is lacking in Italy. Will the result be traffic chaos?

Collecting what was released into the wild fifty years ago is the order of the day in the Gran Paradiso and Triglav National Parks, where the fish species introduced have had serious effects on the natural environment.

The "blue gold" of the Alps is limited in quantity and thus in high demand for use as drinking water, snow or electricity. At its Annual Conference in Bozen/Bolzano in October 2013, CIPRA will be asking who has the right to this elixir of life and who has responsibility for it.

New tunnels crossing the Alps are feverishly being built elsewhere, but the Tende line between Turin and Nice is due to be closed. People on both sides of the border are protesting, however. Can this historic railway line still be saved?

Lecco, the capital of the province of the same name, has this year been selected as the "Alpine Town of the Year 2013". The opening ceremony took place at the beginning of April and the initiatives for the Alpine Town Year were briefly presented.

CIPRA International is getting a new Executive Director. Claire Simon, 35, holds dual French-German nationality and is the first woman in 60 years to lead the organisation. Nor is that the only first.