CIRM, MRI, and FoLAP are organising a symposium on the future of research and training for the transformation of mountain regions at the 17th Swiss Geoscience Meeting in Fribourg.
Conveners: Iago Otero & Emmanuel Reynard, Interdisciplinary Center for Mountain Research, University of Lausanne | Carolina Adler, Mountain Research Initiative | Jörg Balsiger, Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks.
Symposium Description
The integration of scientific disciplines and lay knowledge in adaptive governance networks spanning across scales has been stressed as being crucial for facilitating transformations to sustainability. However, despite decades of research in this domain, key interdependencies and complexities of environmental problems have not been sufficiently accounted for to explore the solutions space. Mountain regions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate and other processes of global change, with negative consequences for social-ecological systems far beyond the immediate mountain setting. New, effective research approaches that build on past achievements are needed to contribute to the sustainable development of mountains.
In order to help address this challenge, this symposium aims to: 1) take stock of the inter- and transdisciplinary transformative research, education, and training on mountain regions conducted so far (methods, theories, best practices, challenges); and 2) define which should be the priority research and training avenues for the immediate future (e.g., research questions, methods of inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, transformation accelerators, skills and capacity building, among others).
We welcome contributions from the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities that deal with these topics in the mountain regions of both Switzerland and the wider world. Subtopics include, but are not limited to, societal learning, adaptation to climate change, governance, well-being, management of resources and hazards, tourism, mobility, and land-planning.
Depending on session contributions, a key outcome of the session would be to develop a compilation of works to be featured in a special issue of a suitable journal.
For more information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (CIRM coordinator).
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