Member of SCNAT

SGmS strengthens geomorphology as a science and its application. It supports young researchers and promotes relations with related sciences and public administration.

Image: Naturmotive, stock-adobe.com

Discussing the most pressing alpine challenges at AlpWeek 2022

The ecological transition is already happening in the Alps – and we are in the middle of it. To shine a light on the different aspects of transition in the Alps, the 7th edition of AlpWeek dedicated to “Alps in transition” took place in Brig-Glis from 5-7 September.

AlpWeek 2022 Kirsten Koop, Université Grenoble Alpes: Grassroots innovations in the French Alps. Which potential for regional socio-ecological transitions?
Image: Caroline Begle

The ISCAR, which is part of the Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks, organized the Alpine Week together with other Alpine organizations that are committed to the protection of the Alps and sustainable development on the basis of the Alpine Convention.

The ecological transition is already happening in the Alps – and we are in the middle of it. To shine a light on the different aspects of transition in the Alps, the 7th edition of AlpWeek dedicated to “Alps in transition” took place in Brig-Glis (CH) from 5-7 September. 12 workshops, 4 excursions, 3 keynote speeches, 2 plenaries and a presentation of multiple youth-driven projects by young people in the context of a CIPRA Youth Council event animated over 110 participants to rethink the lifestyles in the Alps and to foster an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable transition.

Alpine Stakeholders and young people came together from all over the Alps and beyond to discuss energy, economic and agri-food transitions as well as transitions in sectors such as tourism and mobility that have a massive impact on social life and the demographic structure of Alpine communities.

For some of the participants, the AlpWeek began on Monday 5 September with a full-day excursion to the Simplon Pass, for others with an evening aperitif hosted by the municipality of Brig-Glis in the idyllic Stockalper Castle, followed by a festive evening dedicated to the celebration of 20 years of Via Alpina.

After an intense programme of sessions, the highlight of the second day was the panel discussion in the evening on photovoltaics in the landscape, which also attracted many listeners from the municipality of Brig-Glis to AlpWeek and underlined, based on the concrete local case Gondosolar, the difficulty to balance the needs to produce renewable energy and to protect nature and landscapes.

The AlpWeek came to an end on the Wednesday, with another round of parallel workshops, a closing plenary and several excursions to the Aletsch Glacier, on Viticulture and Biodiversity and Traditional Valais Agricultural Landscapes.

All in all, engaged men and women from all over the Alps have taken to heart the urge expressed by the Secretary General of the Alpine Convention, Alenka Smerkolj in her opening video address to "learn, debate and have fun"!

PowerPoints are available on www.alpweek.org.

Twitter Moments AlpWeek 2022 (Collection of tweets )

  • Logo AlpWeek 2022 Brig
  • AlpWeek 2022 Armin Bernhard, Freie Universität Bozen: Upper Vinschgau Citizens’ Cooperative
  • AlpWeek 2022 CYC
  • AlpWeek 2022 Excursion Viticulture
  • AlpWeek 2022 Excursion Aletsch
  • AlpWeek 2022 Kirsten Koop, Université Grenoble Alpes: Grassroots innovations in the French Alps. Which potential for regional socio-ecological transitions?
  • AlpWeek 2022 Panel discussion on photovoltaics in the landscape. Participant Raimund Rodewald (Stiftung Landschaftsschutz Schweiz)
  • AlpWeek 2022 Panel discussion on photovoltaics in the landscape, Moderation: Catherine Duttweiler. Participants: David Stickelberger (swissolar), Renat Jordan (Gondosolar), Markus Schreiber (Lawyer, University of Lucerne), Boris Salak (Social Sciences in Landscape Research WSL)
  • AlpWeek 2022 Stockalperschloss
  • AlpWeek 2022 Via Alpina Celebration
  • AlpWeek 2022 Workshops
  • AlpWeek 2022 Workshops
  • AlpWeek 2022 Workshops
  • AlpWeek Excursion Brig
  • Logo AlpWeek 2022 BrigImage: SCNAT1/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Armin Bernhard, Freie Universität Bozen: Upper Vinschgau Citizens’ CooperativeImage: Caroline Begle2/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 CYCImage: Caroline Begle3/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Excursion ViticultureImage: Anea Schmidlin4/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Excursion AletschImage: Nora Leszczynski5/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Kirsten Koop, Université Grenoble Alpes: Grassroots innovations in the French Alps. Which potential for regional socio-ecological transitions?Image: Caroline Begle6/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Panel discussion on photovoltaics in the landscape. Participant Raimund Rodewald (Stiftung Landschaftsschutz Schweiz)Image: Caroline Begle7/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Panel discussion on photovoltaics in the landscape, Moderation: Catherine Duttweiler. Participants: David Stickelberger (swissolar), Renat Jordan (Gondosolar), Markus Schreiber (Lawyer, University of Lucerne), Boris Salak (Social Sciences in Landscape Research WSL)Image: Caroline Begle8/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 StockalperschlossImage: Caroline Begle9/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 Via Alpina CelebrationImage: Caroline Begle10/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 WorkshopsImage: Caroline Begle11/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 WorkshopsImage: Caroline Begle12/14
  • AlpWeek 2022 WorkshopsImage: Caroline Begle13/14
  • AlpWeek Excursion BrigImage: Caroline Begle14/14

Categories