Act now to protect forests: sign the #HandsOffNature petition!

More than 40 percent of the Alpine region is covered by forests. They are not only a defining feature of the landscape, but also a cornerstone of Alpine livelihood, providing building materials, supporting biodiversity, and delivering essential ecosystem services.

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Turin/I: Olympic sports facilities left to waste away
Turin/I: Olympic sports facilities left to waste away
Since the close of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin many of the sports facilities and installations have been left abandoned. The five ski jumps in Pragelato, for example, for which the building costs exceeded 34 million Euros, are now closed off and unused.
Warmest decade for at least 130 years
Warmest decade for at least 130 years
The last ten years will go on record as by far the warmest in the alpine region since systematic records began. In Germany even the "cool" year 2004 with an average temperature of 9.0 degrees centigrade was well above the climatological mean for Germany, at 8.2 degrees.
Hiking right across the Alps
Hiking right across the Alps
The recently published book Via Alpina - 2500 kilometres from one coast to another (Via Alpina - 2'500 kilomètres d'une mer à l'autre) recounts the adventure of crossing the entire Alpine range. In 2007 Vincent Tornay followed the Via Alpina Red Trail for a total of 119 days in search of the people and landscapes that make up the Alps of today. He covered 2500 km and 124,000 metres of difference in altitude as he hiked through the eight Alpine states, from the Adriatic coastline to Monaco.
Tourism in mountain areas put to the test
Tourism in mountain areas put to the test
The new December 2009 issue of Revue de géographie alpine / Journal of alpine research looks at mountain tourism and sustainability. Six articles examine the sustainability of current practices in tourism and take a closer look at the experience gained with sustainable tourism.

Events

Projects

speciAlps
speciAlps
[Project completed] Grasslands, marshes, hedges, biotopes and woods are examples of natural treasures and biological diversity that are of great value to alpine regions and municipalities. Not only do they offer a habitat for plants and animals, but also humans value functioning natural areas for their attractiveness and the quality of life they offer. Nevertheless, –these areas have much more potential than we often realise and there is much more every municipality can do!
whatsalps youth
whatsalps youth
[Project completed] Many young people spend most of their time indoors, sit in front of the TV or the computer. The "whatsalp youth"-project lured them out. The CIPRA Youth Council, together with CIPRA International and other project partners, was implementing it.
Worthwild
Worthwild
[Project completed] Only minimally impacted by human intervention, areas with limited infrastructural development in the Alps provide European societies with a wide range of ecosystem services, such as the conservation of biodiversity and climate regulation.