2021
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CHALLENGES FOR GOVERNING MOUNTAINS SUSTAINABLY: INSIGHTS FROM A GLOBAL SURVEY MRI Mountain Governance Working Group Lead Catherine Tucker is the lead author of this article in the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD). Co-authors include MRI SLC members Irasema Alcántara-Ayala and Elizabeth Jiménez Zamora, as well as MRI Mountain Governance Working Group members Alexey Gunya, Julia A. Klein, and Xu Jun. They shed light on the main challenges that impede sustainable mountain governance at the local level. Tucker, C. M., Alcántara-Ayala, I., Gunya, A., Jimenez, E., Klein, J. A., Xu, J., & Bigler, S. L. (2021). Challenges for Governing Mountains Sustainably: Insights From a Global Survey. Mountain Research and Development, 41(2), R10–R20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00080.1 |
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MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES: STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCING AND CONNECTING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY MRI SLC member and Mountain Observatories Working Group Lead Maria Shahgedanova is the lead author of this article in the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD). Co-authors include MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler; MRI Co-PI Christian Huggel; MRI Elevation-Dependent Climate Change Working Group Lead Nick Pepin; and MRI SLC members Aster Gebrekirstos, Ricardo Grau, and Rob Marchant, among others. They identify geographical and thematic gaps as well as recent advances in monitoring of biophysical and socioeconomic variables in mountains, and propose ways to connect existing initiatives, support emerging areas, and develop new mountain observatory networks regionally and globally. Shahgedanova, M., Adler, C., Gebrekirstos, A., Grau, H. R., Huggel, C., Marchant, R., Pepin, N., Vanacker, V., Viviroli, D., & Vuille, M. (2021). Mountain Observatories: Status and Prospects for Enhancing and Connecting a Global Community. Mountain Research and Development, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00054.1 |
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TOWARD A DEFINITION OF ESSENTIAL MOUNTAIN CLIMATE VARIABLES In this article in the journal One Earth, MRI Scientific Project Officer James Thornton and co-authors propose a set of potential Essential Mountain Climate Variables to support the monitoring and understanding of key climate change-related mountain processes. The article builds upon a workshop organized by GEO Mountains and hosted by the MRI. Thornton, J.M., Palazzi, E., Pepin, N.C., Cristofanelli, P., Essery, R., Kotlarski, S., Giuliani, G., Guigoz, Y., Kulonen, A., Pritchard, D., Li, X., Fowler, H.J., Randin, C.F., Shahgedanova, M., Steinbacher, M., Zebisch, M., and Adler, C. (2021). Toward a definition of Essential Mountain Climate Variables. One Earth, 4(6). doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.05.005 |
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ASSESSING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE In this article in the journal One Earth, Ignacio Palomo presents a new framework to assess transformative change with nature-based solutions (NbS), which resulted from an MRI-funded Synthesis Workshop. Ignacio Palomo, Bruno Locatelli, Iago Otero, Matthew Colloff, Emilie Crouzat, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Erik Gómez-Baggethun, Alberto González-García, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, Amanda Jiménez-Aceituno, Berta Martín-López, Unai Pascual, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Enora Bruley, Marie Fischborn, Rosmarie Metz, and Sandra Lavorel. "Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change," One Earth 4(5), 1–12, (14 May 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.04.013 |
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CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN EUROPEAN MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS: A SYSTEMATIC MAPPING OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH In this article in the journal Mountain Research and Development, MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler and co-authors mapped English-language scientific journal articles that analyzed the climate change adaptation options planned or implemented in European mountain regions. Sumit Vij, Robbert Biesbroek, Carolina Adler, and Veruska Muccione. "Climate Change Adaptation in European Mountain Systems: A Systematic Mapping of Academic Research," Mountain Research and Development 41(1), A1–A6, (11 May 2021). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00033.1 |
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This policy brief highlights assessment indicators considered important for safeguarding mountain biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in line with previous policy recommendations to elevate mountains in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. GRID-Arendal, the UN Environment Programme, the Mountain Research Initiative, and the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) collaborated on the brief. It received financial support from the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the Vanishing Treasures project. UNEP, GMBA, MRI, and GRID-Arendal (2021). Indicators for Elevating Mountains in the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. |
2020
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MRI Chair Jörg Balsiger and former MountainMedia Editor Martin Price guest-edited this focus issue of the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD) and contributed an editorial. This focus issue offers some answers to the question of how education can contribute to sustainable development in mountain areas. Articles present examples and insights from around the world. Covering a wide range of formal and informal education at all levels, including practical training and lifelong learning opportunities, they provide a basis for future research, policy, and action. Balsiger, J., & Price, M. F. (2020). Focus Issue: How Can Education Contribute to Sustainable Mountain Development? Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. Mountain Research and Development, 40(4), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd.4004 |
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In this article in the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD), MRI Chair Jörg Balsiger, Kenichi Ueno, and Martin Price share results from the activities of the MRI's Education for Sustainable Mountain Development (ESMD) Working Group. Ueno, K., Balsiger, J., & Price, M. F. (2020). Education for Sustainable Mountain Development: Preliminary Insights From a Web-based Survey of Opportunities. Mountain Research and Development, 40(4), R1–R8. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00026.1 |
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A GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR LINKING ALPINE-TREELINE ECOTONE PATTERNS TO UNDERLYING PROCESSES In this article in the journal Ecography, Maaike Bader presents a new framework for describing alpine treeline ecotones, which resulted from an MRI-funded Synthesis Workshop. Maaike Bader, Luis Llambí, Bradley Case, Hannah Buckley, Johanna Toivonen, J. Camarero, David Cairns, Carissa Brown, Thorsten Wiegand, and Lynn Resler. "A global framework for linking alpine-treeline ecotone patters to underlying processes," Ecography 44(2), 265-292, (9 November 2020). https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05285 |
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In this article in the journal Mountain Research and Development, MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler and SLC members outline future directions for developing the MRI network, as well as flagship and community-led activities linking and scaling interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research efforts within and across mountain regions worldwide. Carolina Adler, Jörg Balsiger, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, Andreas Heinimann, Christian Huggel, Rolf Weingartner, Irasema Alcántara-Ayala, Aster Gebrekirstos, Ricardo Grau, Elizabeth Jimenez, Robert Marchant, Bryan Mark, Shawn Marshall, Samuel Morin, Maria Shahgedanova, Mandira Singh Shrestha, and Jianchu Xu. "Making Connections for Our Changing Mountains: Future Directions for the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)," Mountain Research and Development 40(3), P1-P6, (18 November 2020). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00045.1 |
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MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler and Chair Jörg Balsiger, along with Iago Otero and Emmanuel Raynard from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (CIRM), convened this symposium at the 18th Swiss Geoscience Meeting in November 2020. The session showcased the challenges of and opportunities for research and collaboration among natural and social scientists dealing with global change issues in mountain regions. Adler, C., Otero, I., Raynard, E.; & Balsiger, J. (2020). Session 27: Mountains as contexts for global change: interdisciplinary experiences, challenges and new perspectives across the natural and social sciences. In: 18th Swiss Geosciences Meeting. Zurich: Platform Geosciences, Swiss Academy of Sciences, SCNAT. https://boris.unibe.ch/147606/
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The Global Network on Observations and Information in Mountain Environments (GEO Mountains, formerly GEO-GNOME) convened this workshop in February 2020 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop was led by the GEO-GNOME co-leads Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) and the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council (ISAC-CNR), with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), and the US Geological Survey (USGS). This report summarizes the objectives and outcomes of the workshop, which include the selection of EBVs and ESVs required to observe, monitor and inform on changes in mountain biodiversity and mountain social-ecological systems.
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HIGH MOUNTAIN SUMMIT: OUTCOMES AND OUTLOOK As Co-Chairs for the WMO High Mountains Summit held in October 2019 in Geneva, MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler and John Pomeroy from the Global Water Futures programme collaborated with Rodica Nitu (WMO Project Manager for the Global Cryosphere Watch) in their article titled 'High Mountain Summit: Outcomes and Outlook', in which they recap the results of the summit and the activities that followed since then. Adler, C., Pomeroy, J., & Nitu, R. (2020). High Mountain Summit: Outcomes and Outlook. WMO Bulletin, 69(10): 34-37. https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/articles-by-themes?tid-type-bulletin=589 |
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POLICY BRIEF | ELEVATING MOUNTAINS IN THE POST-2020 GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK 2.0 This policy brief builds on previous efforts to showcase mountains that began as part of the first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group held in Nairobi in August 2019, and articulates the myriad ways mountains contribute to global biodiversity on Earth, and its contributions to communities and their well-being. This policy brief was prepared by GRIDA and UN Environment in collaboration with MRI and GMBA, GRASP, the Alpine Convention and the Carpathian Convention, and received financial support from the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the UN Environment Vanishing Treasures project. UNEP, GRID-Arendal, GMBA and MRI (2020). Elevating Mountains in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 2.0. |
2019
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10 NEW INSIGHTS IN CLIMATE SCIENCE 2019 With MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler among the publication's contributing authors, '10 New Insights in Climate Science' was presented to UNFCCCs Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) in Madrid, 6 December, 2019. The report highlights the most recent advances over the last 12 months in the scientific understanding of the drivers, effects, and impacts of climate change, as well as societal responses. Pihl, E., Martin, M.A., Blome, T., Hebden, S., Jarzebski, M.P., Lambino, R.A., Köhler, C., Canadell, J.G., Ebi, K.L., Edenhofer, O., Gaffney, O., Rockström, J., Roy, J., Srivastava, L., Payne, D.R., Adler, C., Watts, S., Jacobsson, L., Sonntag, S., 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2019, Future Earth & The Earth League, Stockholm, 2019 |
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This MRI-led special issue of the journal Regional Environmental Change seeks to highlight contributions from the mountain research community to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment cycle, focusing on the impacts of climate change on the high-mountain cryosphere and downstream regions – as well as responses to these impacts.Adler, C., Huggel, C., Orlove, B. et al. 'Climate Change in the Mountain Cryosphere: Impacts and Responses' [Special Issue] Regional Environmental Change (2019) 19. 5. |
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This article highlights the importance of spatial context in monitoring and reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals. With reflections based on research in mountain regions, the paper calls for data collection methodologies and review schemes that take into account how SDGs may be reflected at sub-national and regional levels. This publication in the GAIA Open Access Thematic Issue: Research for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was developed by the MRI and the Center for Development and Environment (CDE), as part of our collaboration on the Sustainable Mountain Development for Global Change (SMD4GC) programme. Kulonen A., Adler C., Bracher C. & Wymann von Dach S. 'Spatial context matters in monitoring and reporting on Sustainable Development Goals - Reflections based on research in mountain regions.' GAIA (2019) 28/2,90-94. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.28.2.5 |
2018
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In this Issue Brief, the MRI and the Center for Development and Environment (CDE) present initial steps towards localization of the 2030 Agenda to mountain areas. Wymann von Dach, S., Bracher, C., Peralvo, M., Perez, K., Adler, C., and a group of contributing authors. 2018. 'Leaving No One in Mountains Behind: Localizing the SDGs for Resilience of Mountain People and Ecosystems.' Issue Brief on Sustainable Mountain Development. Bern, Switzerland: Centre for Development and Environment and Mountain Research Initiative, with Bern Open Publishing (BOP). |
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A proposed roadmap for monitoring global change in mountains at various levels and in various contexts, with a view to responding to the integrated knowledge needs of policy, research, and management. Carolina Adler, Elisa Palazzi, Aino Kulonen, Jörg Balsiger, Guido Colangeli, Douglas Cripe, Nathan Forsythe, Grace Goss-Durant, Yaniss Guigoz, Jürg Krauer, Davnah Payne, Nicholas Pepin, Manuel Peralvo, José Romero, Roger Sayre, Maria Shahgedanova, Rolf Weingartner, Marc Zebisch. 2018. 'Monitoring Mountains in a Changing World: New Horizons for the Global Network for Observations and Information in Mountain Environments (GEO GNOME).' Mountain Research and Development, 38(3):265-269. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-8-00065.1 |
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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ASSESSING SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT USING THE UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS An evidence-informed preliminary assessment of an SDG indicator subset tailored to a SMD context was performed in a desktop study from September to December 2017. Bracher C, Wymann von Dach S, Adler C. 2018. 'Challenges and Opportunities in Assessing Sustainable Mountain Development Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals.' A Report Compiled by the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), in Collaboration with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE). CDE Working Paper 3. Bern, Switzerland: Centre for Development and Environment (CDE). |
