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Kailash: World heritage, not a destination for tourist convoys?
China is planning to build a road around the sacred Kailash mountain in Tibet in spring 2004. Surveyor's marks were already placed along the traditional pilgrimage route during the summer. Supporters of the Kailash initiative believe the Kailash mountain can only be genuinely protected if it is officially declared as a site on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
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The Alps are becoming more and more of a theme park
On 29 November Coca-Cola AG inaugurated its Alpen Club Micky Maus in the ski resort of Arosa/CH.
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Printed version of the monitoring study Agricultural Genetic Resources in the Alps now available
The Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe has just issued the printed version of its publication Agricultural Genetic Resources in the Alps.
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Extensive documentation of the Earth's ground cover and vegetation
An extensive database of the Earth's ground cover and vegetation in 2000 is now available on the Internet (Global Landcover 2000).
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New study on the development of alpine national parks
Volume 43 of the Münchner Studien zur Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeographie [Munich Studies on Social and Economic Geography] features the findings of a research project on the regional economic significance of alpine national parks.
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Conference of Regions in Kranjska Gora/SI
On 24 October 2003 representatives of the seven pilot regions of the EU research project REGALP convened at the Conference of Regions for an exchange of experience at Kranjska Gora/SI.
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Pyrenean Convention to push ahead
The first step towards drawing up a Pyrenean Convention was taken at a meeting of government representatives chaired by Catalonia at Puigcerdà/E in July of this year. At the meeting representatives of the regions concerned (Languedoc-Roussillon/F, Midi-Pyrénées/F, Aquitaine/F, Navarre/E, Aragon/E, Basque Country/E, Catalonia/E and Andorra), which form the Pyrenees Working Group (Communauté de Travail des Pyrénées or CTP), drafted a joint declaration, which is now available online in French, Spanish and Catalonian.
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New publication: EU Agricultural Policy and the Environment in the Alps
The Alpine Environment Department of the European Academy in Bolzano has just published a new work entitled The EU Agricultural Policy and the Environment - Evaluation of the Alpine Region. It looks at the connections between agricultural policy, agriculture and the environment in the Alps, all of which were analysed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers. Key issues raised include: In what alpine regions is the decline of agriculture particularly severe? Where are the centres of tourism located, and which regions have the highest population density?
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EU nature protection database
Together with the European Topic Centre for Nature Protection and Biodiversity (ETC/NPB in Paris/F) and the European Environmental Information Observation Network (EIONET) the European Environmental Agency EEA has just published a new database with information on the protection of nature: EUNIS - European Nature Information System.
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Merger of three "mountain organisations"
The three organisations Association Européenne des Elus de Montagne (AEM), Euromontana and the European Mountain Forum (EMF) have set up a committee of European mountain organisations called CLAME or Comité de liaison des associations de montagnes européennes.
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Studies and conference on rail network extensions in the Alpine Rhine region
The A13/E43 network has commissioned a study in the border region between Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein with the following basic requirements for the future provision of public passenger transport services: Rail links to the large agglomerations in southern Germany and from the upper Rhine valley to the central areas of southern Germany and western Austria; expansion of the S-Bahn network in the region comprising eastern Switzerland, the eastern area of Lake Constance and the upper Rhine valley; development of tram/suburban railway systems such a half-hourly S-Bahn link between Feldkirch/A and Buchs/CH.
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Italy: 2005 World Ski Championships a risk to national park
Preparations for the World Ski Championships in the upper Valtellina in 2005 are in upheaval. The projects for the resort of Santa Caterina Valfurva, which is to stage the women's races, have come under attack. Environmental associations believe that as the Santa Caterina Valfurva skiing region is situated in the Stilfserjoch National Park the environmental impact of the projects should be examined particularly thoroughly.
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Alpine wind farms: blessing or curse?
Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (TIWAG) and Salzachwind GmbH are planning to build several wind farms in the Wipptal/Brenner region on the Austrian-Italian border. The Austrian Alpine Association (ÖAV) is calling for an immediate stop to the planning work for the wind farms as they are to be erected in a conservation and local recreation area.
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Euregio Adria-Alps
The Adria-Alpen Euregio has moved one step closer to its founding following a series of meetings of the Chairmen of Carinthia/A, Veneto/I and Friuli/I and representatives from Slovenia (with Croatia also to be involved soon).
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Plans for a network of the Alps' large lakes
Together with various partners the French Rhône-Alpes region is planning to submit to the EU Programme Interreg IIIB Alpine Space a project for setting up a network of large natural lakes in the alpine region. The project's main goals are to include environmental protection in harmony with the European Framework Directive on Water and sustainable tourist development of lake landscapes.
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New publication: Andes - Himalaya - Alps
The latest volume 2003/8 in the History of the Alps series by the International Society for Historical Research into the Alps (ISALP) is dedicated to urban development in the mountain regions of South America, Asia and Europe from the early Middle Ages to the present. The contributions in German, French and Italian provide new insights into the historical development of these three mountain regions. The studies on the individual regions are preceded by two abstracts of discussion papers in English.
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No GMO-free zone in Upper Austria says EU
The EU Commission has rejected Austria's request to approve national measures for a three-year ban on genetically modified organisms. The federal province of Upper Austria was to have been declared a GMO-free zone. The government of the province of Upper Austria felt that a general ban on genetically modified seed stock was justified inasmuch as the issue of the coexistence of agricultural methods of cultivation with and without genetically modified organisms had not yet been fully resolved.
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Italy-Slovenia: Transport links to the East
Slovenia, which is set to join the EU very soon, is working hard to modernise its road and rail networks. Transport infrastructure was one of the main themes at a summit meeting of representatives of the Slovenian government and the new administration of Friuli-Julian Venetia/I on 2 September.
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Biogaspark Alpe-Adria: Eco-power for households
As part of the energy project Biogaspark Alpe-Adria biogas plants are to be built and operated in the Alpe-Adria region, of which Austria, Italy and Slovenia are participating members. The plants to be constructed by mid-2006 will generate electricity and heating for around 13,500 one-family households.
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Biogas - Car fuel of the future?
The SwissFarmerPower Working Group recently presented a study entitled "Agricultural Biogas, the Fuel of Tomorrow" which shows that animal husbandry in the Swiss mountain canton of Lucerne produces enough biogas from faeces to supply 32,000 cars a year with fuel. Biogas fuel would also considerably improve air hygiene and help reduce CO2 emissions.
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Via Alpina Book now available online
A book on the network of hiking trails of the Via Alpina, which follows five routes through all the Alpine countries, is now available in the four main languages spoken in the Alps and in English. The road-book offers basic practical information on the hiking routes, with the walking times between the stages, suggestions for overnight accommodation, tourist offices and maps.
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EU Marco Polo Programme for the displacement of traffic now in force
The EU's Marco Polo Programme came into force on August 3. The Programme's objective is to shift increased international freight traffic from the road to other modes of transport.
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New four-language dictionary on flood protection
The Swiss Federal Office for Water and Geology and the Swiss Federal Chancellery have published a dictionary on flood protection in German, French, Italian and English.
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New CIPRA-International web site
The web site of the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps CIPRA-International recently underwent a complete makeover. Information on CIPRA and its member organisations is now posted in a trendier layout at www.cipra.org , with items such as News, Events (e.g. Summer Academy or Annual Conference), Activities, Publications and Positions.
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Prix Wilderness: Award for nature- and environment-minded mountain tours
For the fourth time keepwild!, the specialist environmental department for trend sports of Mountain Wilderness Switzerland, together with the Save the Mountains Foundation, is awarding the Prix Wilderness for Trend Sports.
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Cross-border youth solar project successfully completed
It took 15 adolescents from Austria, Slovenia and Italy only one week to erect a solar installation at the leisure centre of the Austrian Klimabündnis [Climate Alliance] municipality of Gurk. The activity was part of the youth solar project "Together for a Sunny Future", and was supervised by technicians from AEE, the Working Party on Renewable Energy.
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Germany: Regional and ecological produce for Allgäu clinics
In future clinics in the Allgäu region are to be provided with nutritionally balanced meals made from regional and ecological produce. Bavaria's Agricultural Minister Josef Miller referred to the brand programme Aus gutem Grund [On Good Grounds] as a milestone in regional marketing. He added that the initiative could well pave the way for the use of regional produce in community catering.
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October 4: Day of protest action against transit traffic in the mountain regions of Europe
On October 4 the European Transport Initiative ITE is once again co-ordinating a European-wide day of protest action against transit traffic in mountain regions.
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CIPRA calls for Alpine Convention Water Protocol
For years the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps CIPRA has been demanding that the Alpine states draw up a Water Protocol to the Alpine Convention. In Innsbruck/A CIPRA itself tabled a proposal for such a Protocol to coincide with the UN's International Year of Freshwater 2003.
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"Gene Save": Cross-border preservation of gene resources
The new Interreg Project "Gene Save" is to preserve and maintain old local grain, vegetable and apple varieties in southern and northern Tyrol. Seed and planting stock is to be collected, preserved in a gene bank and then re-introduced into cultivation on a wider scale.