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Environment and climate change

Mountains are “Europe’s ecological backbone”

Mountains: an asset for the benefit of all Europe

wildflowers-142900_1920People who go on holidays in mountain areas will not contradict this statement: environment is a strong asset of those regions. The forests, the landscapes, the purity of air and water, the rich biodiversity of those areas do not only benefit mountains’ dwellers, but also Europe in its entirety. For instance, we talk about mountains as being “Europe’s water towers” because the precipitations on their summits flow downstream to provide water to the populations, for irrigation and industrial uses. The European Environment Agency is therefore right to talk about mountains as being ”Europe’s ecological backbone”.

 

A fragile asset

The characteristics of climate and relief of mountains explain why they have specific ecosystems. Those are often fragile and threatened in particular by human changes of activity (e.g. changes of land use) and by climate change. In fact, mountain areas are recognised by the European Commission as being amongst the most vulnerables areas sensitive to climate change: fast rising temperatures, massive melting of glaciers, changes of precipitation levels and of water courses, evolution of vegetation lines, etc.

 

Impacts of climate change on mountain areas

There are many impacts of climate change in mountain areas.

Agriculture – The intensification of the hydrological cycle, glacier and permafrost retreat, and the predicted increase in the scale and frequency of extreme events might lead to significant increases in soil erosion and floods, with considerable effects on mountain farming.

Water – The global increase in mean temperatures of 0.8 °C in the last 150 years (2 °C in some mountain regions) has caused glaciers to melt rapidly and new anomalous and unpredictable precipitation patterns pose a threat to the ability of lakes, reservoirs, glaciers, and seasonal ice and snow to accumulate and store water.

Biodiversity – Mountains are particularly susceptible to biodiversity loss as many mountain species can survive only in limited climatic niches. In some mountain areas, warming temperatures have started to push species from lower to higher elevations.

Tourism – Climate change will continue to decrease the availability of snow for winter sports; will increase the risks of natural disasters, affecting transport infrastructure and settlements as well as the security of tourists; and will result in changes to water regimes and the attractiveness of the landscapes on which many aspects of tourism depend.

Natural hazards – Climate change increases the frequency and the strength of natural hazards in mountain areas. Heavy rainfalls lead to floods and landslides, very dry periods lead to fires and the loss of crops and animals, and heavy snowfalls cause avalanches. Changes in local weather patterns alter biodiversity with potentially cascading effects on pest infestations and plant disease rates.

Mountain people and the European population in general must act in favour of the preservation of environment in mountain areas.

 

Our actions

Policy – Lobbying

Follow –up of activities at EU level. Euromontana closely follows and informs its members about the European policy regarding environment and climate change.marmot-1960_640

More information: see all the articles in the ‘Documents & Links’ section (for members only)

 

Events

 

Studiesspider-web-houseleek-177263_1920

Innovation and Circular Economy in the Mountain Forest Supply Chain: How to Close the Loop?

The study, finalised in March 2017, presents the concept of the circular economy, its potential application in forestry, with a focus on the mountain forest supply chain, and the circular economy at the EU level. It also presents a series of 12 good practices in innovation and circular economy in mountain forestry to show how the concepts may be applied in practice.

Read the study “Innovation and Circular Economy in the Mountain Forest Supply Chain: How to close the loop?”

Other studies

See the studies realised in the framework of the call for project linked to the French law on the development and attractiveness of rural territories (LDTR projects)

 

Projectsbee-423566_1280

OREKA MENDIAN (2016-2021)

Euromontana is a partner of the LIFE project “OREKA MENDIAN” coordinated by HAZI in the Basque Country, Spain.

The main objective of the LIFE OREKA MENDIAN project is to develop a common strategy for managing mountain pasturelands located in 15 Natura 2000 sites in the Basque Country and 8 Special Areas of Conservation in Iparralde, seeking a balance between conservation interests and those of the users. This project will lay the foundations to ensure that mountain pastures, which constitute threatened areas at the European level, are managed in a way that ensures the conservation of their habitats and species. In view of this situation, the LIFE OREKA MENDIAN project aims to develop a conservation strategy based on maintaining the traditional use of pastures and seeking a balance between the forage supply of these areas and the demand for utilization by the livestock farmers. For this, the owners, users, managers of natural spaces, experts and local agents will be involved in the integrated and sustainable management of mountain pastures.

PEGASUS (2015-2018)

Euromontana is a partner of the HORIZON 2020 project “PEGASUS” (Public Ecosystem Goods And Services from land management – Unlocking the Synergies) coordinated by IEEP in the UK.

EU’s agricultural and forestry land provides a wide range of public goods (PG) and ecosystem services (ESS) on which society depends, yet land use decisions and society often under-value these goods and services. PEGASUS will develop innovative, practical ways of making PG and ESS concepts accessible and operational: it will identify how, where and when cost-effective mechanisms and tools for policy, business and practice can most effectively be applied, in-creasing the sustainability of primary production in pursuit of the EU2020 vision of ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’.

For more information, contact Blandine Camus

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Euromontana
Today in The Parliament Magazine's special issue on rural Europe, we look at important demographic issues for our regions, ageing being one of them!🌄 Our member organisations like Diputación de Teruel - DPT & Sodebur are already adapting to demographic change and at European level we are at work to make Europe's mountains good places to live for all, including older people 👇library.myebook.com/theparliament/the-parliament-magazine-issue-558-april-2023-the-rural-edition/...🗞 We are in the pages of today's issue of The Parliament Magazine dedicated to rural Europe ! 🇪🇺Our partner Euromontana tells us how important it is for mountain areas to mitigate the effects of demographic change by adapting now to an ageing population.Read more about the actions of Programas.UE - DPT & Sodebur in this opinion piece! ⬇️library.myebook.com/theparliament/the-parliament-magazine-issue-558-april-2023-the-rural-edition/... ... See MoreSee Less
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3 days ago

Euromontana
Registration is still open for our LIFE Shepforbio event in May! 📆Farmers, shepherds, pastoral schools, nature park managers and many public and private actors in the pastoral sector will meet in Florac to discuss the role of pastoral schools in the management of natural habitats🌱🌄ℹ️ Logistics - agenda - registration form available here 👇www.euromontana.org/en/events/shepforbio-1st-international-conference-the-role-of-pastoral-school...📣 Save the date! First LIFE Shepforbio conference on pastoralism & natural habitats!📆 10 & 11 May 2023📌 Florac (France)You are involved in pastoralism or mountain habitat management? Manager of a natural site or a pastoral school? 🐑🌱Join us! ⤵️www.euromontana.org/en/events/shepforbio-1st-international-conference-the-role-of-pastoral-school...LIFE Programme DREAm Italia Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi Regione Toscana Unione dei Comuni del Pratomagno Unione di Comuni Valdarno e Valdisieve Unione dei Comuni Montani del Casentino DAGRI UNIFI Sapienza Università di Roma LIFE Programme ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

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This morning we were at the first 🇪🇺 EU CAP Network Thematic Group on Forest-Dominant Rural Areas and Municipalities!🌲A key issue in the mountains for:🪵 local wood chains🌱 unique biodiversity🔥 forest fires, which we are currently addressing with Fire-ResElena Feo (Euromontana) shared the outputs of her group: The need to take a multi-actor approach, which is under-represented compared to agriculture 👥Forestry should be integrated in the innovation system #AKIS 🤔Find out more: bit.ly/tg1forest ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

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🆕 FIRE-RES published its first deliverable!It goes through the lessons learned from Extreme Wildfires and creates a common basis for action to improve resilience to fire 🔥🌲 Check it out! ⤵fire-res.eu/fire-res-publishes-its-first-deliverable-on-lessons-learned-on-extreme-wildfire-events/Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, CTFC Instituto Superior de Agronomia CEF - Centro de Estudos Florestais CEABN InBIO European Forest Institute (EFI) Tecnosylva Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου Ειδικός Κονδυλίων Έρευνας Πανεπιστημίου Αιγαίου CoLAB ForestWISE INRAE Cnrs.fr Tiems Escola Nacional de Bombeiros Euromontana Wageningen University & Research Agenzia Regionale Forestas VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research NIBIO Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa Institut i Geològic de Catalunya CONAF INESC TEC Spire Global TESAF Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali UNIPD Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil Corma Chile ... See MoreSee Less
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Today in @Parlimag, we look at important demographic issues for our regions, #ageing being one of them!

🌄 Our member regions are already adapting to #DemographicChange & at 🇪🇺 level we are at work to make Europe's mountains good places to live for all, including older people👇

Pour les régions de montagne et l'espace rural, l'économie #circulaire présente de nombreux avantages. #montagna, la revue du #SAB, présente des réalisations et des démarches inspirantes. #economiecirculaire
https://t.co/33WUFUDVdW

The 🇪🇺 @EU_CoR calls for place-based policies to tackle #BrainDrain and #depopulation!

We advocate for
1️⃣ economic diversification and quality of life
2️⃣ #RuralProofing to avoid harming these areas
3️⃣ analysing labour and population flows
https://t.co/eU9wbdo9dM

Join our May event on #pastoralism!

Plenaries, workshops & study visits to explore the role of pastoral schools in managing natural #habitats🌱🌄

ℹ️ Logistics - agenda - registration👇
https://t.co/HEyJZERSFp
@DREAm_Italia_EU @MOVINGH2020 @pastoralisme @IYRP2026 @PASTRES_erc

Today is #WorldWaterDay! Freshwater from mountains is fundamental for achieving global food security, as it is used by farmers to irrigate crops in many lowland agricultural regions. #MountainsMatter

https://t.co/OCdnyhl5y4

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