The continuing decline in biodiversity is among the most urgent global challenges (IPBES 2019). Ecological connectivity is a key factor in effective conservation, as interconnected ecosystems are vital for sustaining species diversity (Hilty et al. 2020). Water availability is especially pivotal, since both terrestrial and aquatic habitats depend on geo-hydrological processes. High mountain areas such as the Alps—hotspots for numerous endemic species—are highly susceptible to land-use pressures and climate change, with melting glaciers intensifying water scarcity (EEA 2010).

International environmental strategies, including the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, and the EU Nature Restoration Law, aim to strengthen ecological resilience and counter accelerating habitat loss. This research investigates how these global and EU-wide strategies for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation are integrated into existing Alpine governance structures, and how they become institutionally anchored and strategically implemented. Given that the Alps constitute both an ecologically fragile high mountain ecosystem and a transnational cooperation area, clarifying how broader policy goals translate into this multi-level governance framework is essential.

Drawing on a multi-level governance perspective, this study analyzes implementation processes across several spatial scales, taking into account the Alpine region’s transnational characteristics and the Alpine Convention’s role as a cooperation platform. Methodologically, it combines a policy analysis of relevant documents with semi-structured qualitative expert interviews. The objective is to identify regional governance strategies that foster cross-national and cross-sectoral connectivity and to propose recommendations for future action, particularly concerning Alpine land-use and sectoral planning procedures (Job et al. 2020).

References:

EEA (2010): Europe's ecological backbone: recognizing the true value of our mountains. EEA Report 6. Copenhagen. URL: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-ecological-backbone?activeTab=22266594-97f5-4524-946f-095a50759ae7 (accessed 10^th of January 2025).

Hilty, J.*, Worboys, G.L., Keeley, A.*, Woodley, S.*, Lausche, B., Locke, H., Carr, M., Pulsford I., Pittock, J., White, J.W., Theobald, D.M., Levine, J., Reuling, M., Watson, J.E.M., Ament, R. & Tabor, G.M.* (2020): Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors. Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No. 30. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.PAG.30.en.

IPBES (2019): Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services [S. Díaz, J. Settele, E. S. Brondízio, H. T. Ngo, M. Guèze, J. Agard, A. Arneth, P. Balvanera, K. A. Brauman, S. H. M. Butchart, K. M. A. Chan, L. A. Garibaldi, K. Ichii, J. Liu, S. M. Subramanian, G. F. Midgley, P. Miloslavich, Z. Molnár, D. Obura, A. Pfaff, S. Polasky, A. Purvis, J. Razzaque, B. Reyers, R. Roy Chowdhury, Y. J. Shin, I. J. Visseren-Hamakers, K. J. Willis & C. N. Zayas (eds.)]. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 56 pages. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3553579.

Job, H., Willi, G., Mayer, M. & M. Pütz (2020): Open Spaces in Alpine Countries: Analytical Concepts and Preservation Strategies in Spatial Planning. Mountain Research and Development 40 (3), D1-11. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-Journal-D-20-000161.

Groundwater resources and soil functionality are essential for healthy ecosystems (e.g. Hölting/Coldewey 2013). Soils provide the foundation for food production, air quality and vegetation, making them critical for human survival (Ernstberger/Bornemann 2020). However, urbanization, renewable energy expansion, and climate change (e.g. droughts, floods, and landslides) increasingly degrade soils through erosion and sealing (e.g. Pirnat/Hladnik 2017; Meyer et al. 2023). Alpine valleys, with their topographic constraints, face challenges in maintaining their cultural landscapes under these pressures.

Spatial planning is often tasked with minimizing negative effects from land uses and coordinating but the cross-sectoral integration does oftentimes not exceed ordinary procedures resulting in knowledge gaps (e.g. Eichhorn et al. 2023). This research examines how modern spatial planning addresses the safeguarding of functioning open spaces specifically for groundwater resources and soil retention capacity in the Alps. It focuses on agricultural open spaces, which are under growing pressure from competing demands for energy and food, impacting groundwater retention and analyses the role of wetlands within spatial planning systems.

A theoretical framework based on water and soil governance (e.g. Hill 2013) highlights gaps and potentials in regulative planning instruments for protecting soil functionality. A mixed-methods approach was applied in Bavaria and South Tyrol, combining qualitative expert interviews, literature reviews, and planning document analysis. The study also includes a geo-analytical evaluation of ecosystem services and priority areas for groundwater management under four spatial planning scenarios: business as usual, market-oriented, conservative and sustainable.

Despite their understanding as open spaces, management of agricultural areas is poorly integrated into spatial planning instruments, often treated as a "black hole." Current instruments and regulations fail to address the intensity of historically grown agricultural land use, a major threat to groundwater quality. Political pressures and rigid laws hinder effective management by overlooking case-specific evaluations. Significant changes in spatial planning, supported by both regulatory and communicative instruments, are needed to address these challenges and foster greater accountability as well as visibility of the challenges ahead.

Climate change impacts mountain areas and especially the Alps significantly. Melting permafrost, retreating glaciers, shifting precipitation patterns and sharp temperature increase rapidly change environmental conditions. Improved water management in agricultural areas is key to tackle intensifying climate risks such as droughts, pluvial flooding or erosion. Especially agriculturally used forelands need to see measures implemented to retain, infiltrate and harvest water to sustain primary production and safeguard/improve the ecological status. Nature-based solutions (NbS) implemented on private land can be an essential component in such a strategy.

Besides the identification of spatial patterns of climate risks and the overall suitable NbS to tackle them, the assessment of co-benefits and trade-offs is crucial to integrate the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus into decision making processes. Therefore, the research is centered around the questions how co-benefits and trade-offs of different NbS can be identified and assessed with an accessible framework. Within the scope of the question, a tailor-made multi-criteria analysis framework was developed to be able to: (i) compare different NbS options concerning their co-benefits and trade-offs in a transparent manner, (ii) collaboratively assess and discuss NbS options with local stakeholders – in particular with landowners.

The presented research will reflect on the role and potential of spatially disperse NbS concerning the water-energy-food-ecosystem in Alpine forelands based on the practical application in the river Lafnitz catchment. The focus lies on the identification of methodological approaches as well as procedural elements that are crucial for a collaborative approach to tackle climate risks and generate co-benefits.