| Publication 17.11.2020 | Mountain Research and Development Vol 39, No 4: The Role of Culture in Transformation Towards Sustainable Development in Mountains Culture is fundamentally relevant for sustainable development. This focus issue shows how mountain communities draw on their cultural heritage and integrate new knowledge to shape their own innovative and locally-based development pathways. It also explores ways of integrating culture into development practice and policy. Studies focus on mountain communities in Chile, Italy, Russia, Ecuador, Georgia, Nepal, and China. The issue is available online and open access here |
| Publication 05.08.2020 | New issue of the open-access journal eco.mont online The latest issue of eco.mont journal on protected mountain areas research and management covers topics from biosphere reserves, to the implications of tourism and recreation, to herpetofauna. It contains a study named «Protected areas and territorial tensions: The ticinese case of Adula park» The issue is available here |
| Publication 17.12.2019 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 39, No 2: Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Mountain Development Guest-edited by Carolina Adler of the Mountain Research Initiative, this issue contributes to the literature being assessed for the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report and particularly its cross-chapter paper on mountains. Articles focus on participatory scenario planning in Iceland; risk awareness of migrants in rural Austria; assessment of alpine pastures to guide adaptation in the French Alps; the role of different sources of knowledge in adaptation, eg farmers’ perceptions in Venezuela and Colombia, local knowledge in Ecuador, and multiple epistemologies in the Indian Himalaya; local adaptations to water scarcity in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya; the declining contribution of glaciers to water resources in the Mongolian Altai; a worldwide assessment of national glacier monitoring; and an overview of trends and adaptation initiatives in African mountains. The issue is available online and open access here |
| Publication 25.02.2019 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 39, No. 1 Topics are: Mapping Food Systems, Understanding the Rejection of a Swiss National Park Project, Economic Opportunities offered by National Parks, Reconfiguration of the Water-Energy-Food-Nexus in the Everest Region and more. The issue is available online open access here. |
| Publication 13.02.2019 | eco.mont – Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management Vol. 11 No. 1 Protected areas – natural landscapes or institutions? This question reflects a dilemma for many protected areas: while their core mission is the conservation of nature and/or cultural landscapes, an institutional basis is needed to achieve this mission. But how can mission and institution be balanced, and how should available funds be invested? Standardnummer: ISSN 2073-106X print version – ISSN 2073-1558 The issue is available here |
| Publication 19.01.2019 | Proccedings ForumAlpinum 2018 online Alpine Water – common good or source of conflicts? The proceedings of the FoumAlpinum 2018 and the 7th Water Conference of the Alpine Convention have been published online. The volume contains abstracts of all papers and posters dealing with questions of water use in the Alpine region and foreseeable future water use conflicts, as well as measures to avoid them. The proceedings also contain a summary of the 7th Water Conference and the results of the mapping of hotspots of water use in the Alpine region, that were recorded during the conference with the participants. The key messages of the ForumAlpinum 2018 are summarised in a policy brief addressed to the Alpine Convention and relevant administrations, entitled „Action needed to prevent future conflict over the use and management of water in the Alpine region in times of climate change and growing demand“. The Alpine Forum has been organised by the International Scientific Committee for Alpine Research (ISCAR) together with the 7th Water Conference of the Alpine Convention and the Macroregion Alpine Space (www.forumalpinum.org). Download Proceedings: https://doi.org/10.1553/forumalpinum2018 |
| Publication 05.10.2017 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 37, No 3 available online and open access This Focus Issue assesses the role of mountain forests in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. After an Introductory Essay, papers cover gender issues in agroforestry (Ethiopia) and community forests (Nepal), small-scale mountain farm forestry (Austria), rubber and the rural economy (China), a throughfall-exclusion experiment (Bhutan), mountain forest resilience (India), Andean forest landscape research, US federal forest productivity, rangeland property rights (Bhutan), and urban spatial growth modelling (China). The issue is available online and open access here. |
| Publication 06.07.2017 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 37, No 2, available online and open access The issue is available online and open access here. |
| Publication 28.03.2017 | Report «AlpWeek – Alps & People 2016, Grassau, Germany» is now available! This report summarises the most important elements regarding the three topics of demography, culture and quality of life that were covered in the lectures and sessions. In conclusion there is a review of the results of AlpWeek 2016 and proposals for the future direction of the event. Report (English) Bericht (Deutsch) Rapport (Français) Relazione (Italiano) Porocilo (Slovenian) |
| Publication 10.03.2017 | Mountain Research and Development Vol 37, No 1 available online and open access This issue offers 14 peer-reviewed articles focusing on questions related to water, risk reduction, energy, land use change, biodiversity, vegetation ecology, conservation, gender policy, ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge, economic opportunities, mobility, and glacier monitoring—always with sustainable development in mind. Geographically, papers present insights from Nepal, China, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Ecuador, and Colombia. http://www.mrd-journal.org/ |
| Publication 02.02.2017 | New publication available: Journal of alpine research, 104-3 | 2016 A special edition on ForumAlpinum 2014. Also available in French. http://rga.revues.org/3322?lang=en |
| Publication 2016 | A Stratetic Research Agenda: «Mountains for Europe’s Future» An Input to the Horizon 2020 Work Programmes and Calls 2018-2020. Mountains are important for Europe. The Strategic Research Agenda «Mountains for Europe’s Future» explains their significance for energy and food production, climate action and transport. It makes the case for including more mountain research topics in the major European research funding programmes such as Horizon 2020. Download |
| Publication 15.12.2016 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 65, No 4, available online and open access Papers emerged from the 2015 Perth III mountain conference and contribute to Future Earth. The first 3 present a tool to compare mountain photos, gender-sensitive participatory agroforestry, and social impact assessment; others explore seedling regeneration, ecosystem services, visitors’ use of energy, in-migration dynamics, environmental impacts of migration, and farmers’ decision-making. The last 3 are review-based agendas for future mountain research. http://www.mrd-journal.org/ |
| Publication 29.09.2016 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 65, No 3, available online and open access Papers analyze photovoltaic power generation in Tajikistan, new highlander entrepreneurs in Switzerland, farmers’ perceptions of farming in Norway, large-cardamom production in Sikkim, land use and land cover changes and grazing intensity in Nepal, swidden agriculture in Myanmar, plant species composition in Pakistan, forest assemblages in southwest China, pasture condition assessment in Kyrgyzstan, and knowledge for climate adaptation worldwide. http://www.mrd-journal.org/ |
| Publication 10.07.2016 | ISCAR Workshop «Interface between science and mountain protected areas: the role of scientific councils» The scientific councils of Alpine protected areas: an overview and analysis of their contribution to linking science and management (eco.mont Vol. 8 No. 2) |
| Publication 20.01.2016 | ISCAR Workshop «Interface between science and mountain protected areas: the role of scientific councils» Recommendations for establishing or renewing scientific councils in protected areas (eco.mont Vol. 8 No. 1) |
| Publication 07.01.2016 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 35, No 4, available online and open access This Open Issue offers transformation, systems, and target knowledge in its 3 peer-reviewed sections. In the first paper, a participatory process through which the national objectives of food security and environmental conservation can be achieved in North Korea is validated. Next, modeling-based papers analyze the relationship between permafrost and land surface temperature in the Tien Shan, between policy changes and forest cover change in Romania, and between glacial lakes at different periods in the Himalaya. The next 4 studies focus on a fog collection system in Eritrea, a threatened medicinal herb (Swertia chirayta) in Sikkim, a threatened species (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) collected in Uttarakhand, and people’s attitudes toward conservation of wildlife in the Kashmir Valley. The final peer-reviewed paper calls for collaboration, greater scientific rigor, and reliable data in the Himalayas. http://www.mrd-journal.org |
| Publication 07.01.2016 | ISCAR annual report 2015 and Goals and Focus Activities 2015-2018 now available: Report 2015 (pdf) Goals and Focus Activities 2015-2018 (pdf) |
| Publication 30.09.2015 | ForumAlpinum 2014: Proceedings online The proceedings of the ForumAlpinum 2014, held at Darfo Boario Terme (Italy) on 17th to 19th September, 2014, are completed. The Austrian Academy of Sciences Press published them as an online edition which can be downloaded on http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ForumAlpinum14 |
| Publication 24.07.2015 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 35, No 2, on Vulnerability and Hazards available online and open access The Nepal earthquakes have shown once again how vulnerable mountain people are to natural hazards and how important it is to strengthen their resilience. Papers in this issue assess the effectiveness of the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for DRR; others assess social vulnerability in Lesotho, reveal hydro-meteorological risks in Italy using scenario development, and assess forest vulnerability in Austria and Bavaria by means of a GIS-based model. http://www.mrd-journal.org/ |
| 30.02.2015 | Proceedings of the 5th Symposium for Research in Protected Areas 2013 in Mittersill published Nationalpark Hohe Tauern – Conference Volume 5: (2013): 5th Symposium Conference Volume for Research in Protected Areas The complete edition is also available online: http://www.landesmuseum.at/datenbanken/digilit/?litnr=37550 |
| Publication 16.03.2015 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 35, No 1, available online and open access Papers explore how Indian farmers benefit from a pro-poor value chain; Peruvian periurban farmers’ views on urbanization; European intergenerational practices for protected area management; a low-cost DEM methodology for the Andes; French and Italian mountain farms’ adaptation to socioeconomic and political change; alpine forest communities’ response to climate variability in Nepal; and the impact of fertilizer on degraded grasslands in Tibet. http://www.mrd-journal.org/ |
| Publication 17.12.2014 | Mountain Research and Development, Vol 34, No 4 on Family Farming in Mountains This MRD Focus Issue on Family Farming in Mountains addresses the question to what extent and how institutions and organizational arrangements of family farmers have been able to cope with current multiple challenges in the context of global change, and whether family farmers in mountains benefit from new opportunities. The geographical range of papers in this issue reaches from Italy to Ukraine, Slovakia, China, Bolivia, and Spain. Link |
| Report 30.4.2014 | ISCAR annual report 2013 now available: Report 2013 (pdf) |
| Publication 7.4.2014 | Journal of alpine research: new issue «Young Alpine Research / Jeune recherche alpine» online In this newissue, six articles of the winners of the Young Scientists Award are published. The new issue no. 100-3 2013 is now available: http://rga.revues.org/2138 |
| Publication 10.9.2013 | Mountain Research and Development, Volume 33, Issue 3 available online This Focus Issue of MRD contributes to the International Year of Water Cooperation by presenting knowledge about water governance in mountains – a topic that has received little attention, even though the key role of mountains in providing water for the world’s population is widely acknowledged. Papers examine access to water, collaborative transboundary water management, adaptive capacities of water governance arrangements, effective transdisciplinary knowledge production processes, governance of different irrigation systems, and collaborative governance of wetlands, as well as other topics relevant to sustainable mountain development. Three of the articles on water governance focus on the European Alps. Link |
| Journal | eco.mont – Journal of Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management: Volume 5, Issue 1 (June 2013) Link |
| Publication 31.5.2013 | Mountain Research and Development, Volume 33, Issue 2 available online and open access Papers in this Open Issue of MRD address diverse key concerns of sustainable mountain development as identified in the final outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Papers in the MountainDevelopment section examine how stakeholder analysis can enhance integrated water management in Uganda and how communication endeavors can improve livestock extension measures in Uttarakhand, India. MountainResearch papers investigate the complexity of climate change projections in the Hindu Kush–Himalayas; social perceptions and people’s preferences with regard to forest management and policies in the Italian Alps; burning as an effective method to restore meadows in Bhutan; and vegetation patterns and species diversity in the Baihua Mountain Reserve, China. In the MountainPlatform section, ICIMOD presents its new strategic orientation for the next 5 years. Link |
| Publication 11.3.2013 | Journal of alpine research: new issue «The emergence of the sports and recreation markets in the Alps» online The new issue no. 100-3 2013 is now available: http://rga.revues.org/1889?lang=en |
| Publication 6.2.2013 | ISCAR annual report 2012 now available: Report 2012 (pdf) |
| Publication 6.2.2013 | «The 50 Most Important Questions Relating to the Maintenance and Restoration of an Ecological Continuum in the European Alps» is published on PLoS One and now available in open access on the web: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0053139 |
| Publication 9.1.2013 | Mountain Research and Development, Volume 32, Issue 4 available online and open access In this Open Issue of MRD, three MountainDevelopment articles present an approach comparing forest carbon storage with poverty data to ensure environmental and social sustainability of REDD+ interventions in Lao PDR; an analysis of the role of mountain landscapes in sustainable development initiatives in the Italian Alps; and a solar greenhouse project that enhanced food security in Humla, Nepal. Three MountainResearch articles analyze how community-based tourism in the Mt Kenya region contributes to regional development, how large-scale climatic oscillations affect snowfall parameters in the world’s major downhill ski areas, and how rainfall influences spring discharge in Uttarakhand. The MountainNotes section offers three reviews of research on climate change impacts on hydrology, regional climate, and human health in the Hindu Kush–Himalayas. Link |
| Publication 11.5.2012 | Rio+20: Mountains, a priority for a planet under pressure and for Switzerland: Factsheet Rio+20 on mountains is now available in english, french and german. Download Factsheet EN (pdf) Download Factsheet FR (pdf) Download Factsheet DE (pdf) |
| Publication 16.4.2012 | Journal of alpine research: new issue online & call for papers The new issue no. 100-1 2012, Mountain marginality and disaster is now available online: http://rga.revues.org/1645 Call for papers: Mountain mobile borders (publication in march 2013): Deadline of submission mai 2nd 2012. Information and contact |
| Publication 2.4.2012 | ISCAR Principles of work 2012 now available in english, german, french and italian |
| Report 2.3.2012 | ISCAR annual report 2011 now available: Report 2011 (pdf) |
| Publication 24.2.2012 | The Supplement Issue of Mountain Research and Development MRD containing keynote papers, a synthesis paper, and policy papers that emerged from the 2010 «Global Change and the World’s Mountains» conference, which took place in Perth, Scotland, is now available online and open access. Link |
| Publication 24.2.2012 | Now online: Global Permafrost Zonation Index Map by S. Gruber Link |
| Publication 12.12.2011 | Mountain Research and Development, Volume 31, Issue 4 available online and open access This issue of MRD is the third in 10 years that is devoted to sustainable production and use of energy in mountain areas (see also MRD 26.2 and MRD 21.1). It aims at contributing to the debate about how mountains are affected by the global energy crisis and whether the crisis might offer opportunities for mountain communities. It also contains several other articles dealing with issues of relevance to mountains and mountain communities, including one by Swiss authors: Marco Pütz and co-authors investigate tourists’ attitudes towards artificial snow-making in 3 Swiss destinations. The results show that snow reliability is only one criterion for choosing a destination: the Alpine landscape and a wide choice of activities are even more important factors. This paper is a sequel to the paper by Rixen et al in MRD 31.3. More |
| Publication 2.12.2011 | With regard to Rio+20 the Swiss Presidency of the Alpine Convention presents a report on the development of the Alpine Space since 1992. The report is now published. Link |
| Publication 7.11.2011 | Proceedings of the Third International Conference «Water in the Alps» now available in italian and english. Download |
| Publication 21.10.2011 | A pioneering examination of the three-dimensionality of the earth from the perspective of history and the humanities, now available in English: Jon Mathieu (2011): The third dimension: a comparative history of mountains in the modern era. The White Horse Press, Isle of Harris UK ISBN 978-1-874267-676 More information and order |
| Report 21.10.2011 | New report on renewable energies in alpine protected Areas (available in German, French, Italian) More information and Download |
| Report 30.9.2011 | ISCAR annual report 2010 now available: Report 2010 (pdf) |
| Publication 27.6.2011 | Proceedings of the 5th International Meeting of Alpine Network Rete Montagna, mai 29-30, 2009 now published: Guglielmo Scaramellini, Alice Giulia Dal Borgo (Eds.) (2011): Changing Alps between risks and chances. alpine space – man & environment vol. 12. innsbruck university press. ISBN: 978-3-902811-09-7 More information |
| Publication 1.6.2011 | We would like to draw you attention to the newly published online edition of eco.mont – Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management – issue 3, volume 1: http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/eco.mont-3-1 |
| Publication 20.5.2011 | New journal: Alpine Botany This new journal provides a forum for studies in plant ecology, vegetation and flora of mountain regions. Alpine Botany publishes original contributions and reviews on biogeography, biosystematics, evolutionary biology, population biology, ecophysiology and functional ecology of plants and vegetation, and on interactions of plants with plants, animals or microorganisms. More information |
| Publication 11.5.2011 | Vol. 6 of the Handbook of environmental chemistry takes a closer look at water as a resource. Ulrich Bundi (ed.) (2010): Alpine Waters. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. More information |
| Publication 4.5.2011 | The recent issue of the Journal of Alpine Research (99-1, 2011) dedicated to migratory processes in mountain areas is now online: http://rga.revues.org/index1335.html |
| Publication 1.4.2011 | ForumAlpinum 2010, Munich, «Metropolises and «their» Alps» Key outcomes (pdf) Research questions and needs for action (pdf) |
| Report 15.9.2010 | Recognising the true value of Europe’s mountains: A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) provides an in-depth analysis of populations, ecosystems, water cycles, land cover and policies in mountain areas |
| Report 28.7.2010 | European Environment Agency (EEA) releases 10 messages for 2010 – Mountain ecosystems |
| Journal | eco.mont – Journal of Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management. Third issue published |
| Publication | New Publication on use and perspective of mountain pastures in the Alps (in german): «Almen und Alpen» by Alfred Ringler (2010) EUR 40.00 ISBN: 978-3-00-029057-2 Order: http://www.vzsb.de/ |
| Position | The future functioning of the bodies of the Alpine Convention: the position of ISCAR |
| Report | ISCAR annual report 2009 is now available |
| Report | SOIA-Workshop: Towards more integrated research and observation in the Alps Report Bozen/Bolzano (I) 25th – 26th November 2009 |
| Report | EEA published (September 2009) a report addressing climate change adaptation and water in the Alps. ‘Regional climate change and adaptation — The Alps facing the challenge of changing water resources’ |