Time: Thursday, 11/Sept/2025: 4:00pm - 5:30pm Session Chair: Dr. Arthur Schindelegger |
Climate change is a fact, and it affects our livelihoods and available resources already now and even more in the years coming. Climate impacts are even more severe in Alpine regions leading to rapid changes in environmental conditions (IPCC 2021, 41f; IPCC 2014, 4; Spehn & Körner 2017, 407; Jacob et al 2014, 567). Especially the changing water regimes have wide ranging impacts: e.g., increasing heavy rainfall events and droughts impact besides Alpine core area themselves also the surrounding fertile foothills and flatlands of the Alpine fringe (IPCC 2021, 150; Bender et al 2020, 1; ClimChAlp 2008).
At the same time land use pressure is increasing in Alpine regions. Especially climate mitigation efforts manifest through additional hydropower projects, new wind turbines and large-scale PV systems are having a significant share (Codemo et al 2023; Gaugl et al 2021). Hence, Alpine regions experience a phase of rapid change on many levels and open spaces are more and more becoming a scarce resource (Job et al 2020).
The proposed session should reflect on this ongoing transformation in Alpine regions with a special focus on the European Alps and their forelands. As a common framework we propose to take up the nexus concept. The established Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus (WEFE Nexus) highlights the interdependence of the single components and identifies mutually beneficial responses that are based on understanding the synergies of water, energy, agricultural and land use policies but also measurable and observable change (Pérez 2023).
To narrow the discussion water in Alpine areas should be the starting point of scientific contributions in the proposed session. Energy transition, food production and security as well as rapid changes in Alpine ecosystem are all related to water. Change or precipitation patterns, increasing occurrence of droughts, limited periods with snow cover, shrinking glacier areas, etc. all have wide ranging impacts according to existing dependencies.
Institutionalization and Strategic Implementation of International Strategies for Sustainable Development in the Alpine Region
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany
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 10th 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.
Rethinking spatial planning instruments to protect alpine groundwater resources in Bavaria and South Tyrol
University of Wuerzburg, Germany
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.
Preliminary approach to water and energy consumption resulting from second homes in Alpine resorts
Université Savoie Mont Blanc, France
The development of second homes in the Alps remains a highly controversial issue due to its significant impact on access to permanent housing, land taken, biodiversity, landscape, water resources, and the energy required for construction and dwelling uses. These issues are more generally considered at destination level through studies of the carrying capacity of tourism. There is little specific research focus on the challenges posed by second homes in terms of energy and water consumption in the Alps, despite the fact that they are firmly rooted in tourism models. This study uses survey data from owners and local assessments of water resources in several winter resorts in the French Alps to develop an empirical approach for better understanding the energy and water demands of second homes. Our results lead us to discuss both the buildings and the use of existing accommodations, while considering the need to limit tourism capacity. In terms of energy, both the deteriorating condition of older condominiums and the energy-intensive amenities in newly constructed luxury homes, such as saunas and pools, contribute to excessive consumption. The rebound effect of more energy-intensive practices stimulated by tourist-driven gentrification raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of this development. Therefore, renovating existing building for energy efficiency is as critical as regulating the construction of more efficient new homes. Mobility, another source of energy consumption, is reflected in our analysis about owners’ travel choices and the relocation of permanent residents who increase daily commuting to tourism-related jobs as a result of a competitive housing market. Assessing the role of second homes in water consumption is more complex due to their intertwined link with competing demands for water in the Alps, including agriculture, drinking water, artificial snow, hydroelectricity and construction.
In further research, a more detailed comparative study of the environmental impact of different types of tourist accommodation, including the various forms of second home, could help to figure out the most environmentally friendly way of accommodating temporary residents or visitors to the destination.