Guest Blog

The idea for Climate Change on Mountains: Reviving Humboldt’s Approach to Science started forming in my mind in 2015, halfway through co-writing the textbook Ecology of High-altitude Waters with my friend Dean Jacobsen. While I was well versed in the dry style of scientific papers, the textbook allowed me a creative freedom that stimulated my desire to write about scientific practices, discoveries, and beyond. A crossover book with a wider audience in mind seemed an appealing next step. Navigating the Impacts of Climate Change And so I started working on a book about the ecological effects of climate change in the tropical Andes—my scientific focus over the last decade—that would blend compelling scientific findings with personal memoirs. My objective was to share my first-hand experience with the accelerating impacts of climate change in tropical mountains, the effects caused by rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and changing precipitation patterns. In the field, I...

Data on the size and impact of tourism in mountain regions remains scarce, and quantifying its volume is still a challenge. A new report, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the largest provider of tourism data, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), highlights the importance of understanding and quantifying mountain tourism.   Mountains, home to about 1.1 billion people, attract people from all over the world for many reasons, including natural beauty, climate, biodiversity, local cultures, resource accessibility, and transportation options, to name a few. This year, it has been estimated that the mountain and snow tourism market will reach around $4.9 billion. By 2033, it is predicted to grow to $8 billion. If data suggests there will be an increase in visitor numbers to mountain regions in the future, without the vital information, local communities and policymakers may be unable to adapt...

This MRI-funded synthesis workshop, held in April, shed light on the flowpaths of glacier meltwater, revealing potential impacts on downstream water supplies, a critical knowledge gap on the water science agenda. This blog post aims to provide insights into the process of organising this kind of workshop from the perspective of an Early Career Scientist (ECS).

This congress, themed “Time for change”, brought together over 3000 delegates for presentations and keynote talks on Quaternary research, climate change, and environmental science.

Recently, news from the Pitztal and Ötztal valleys in Austria caused a stir among the mountain community. The plan to connect the two valleys and expand each ski resort - dubbed “Europe’s largest glacier ski resort” - was planned for many years. The expansion plans included Mittelberg in Pitztal, across Griestal and up to the Linker Fernerkogel, a mountain with not one, not two, but three glaciers. It was set to be the size of 116 soccer fields, mostly on glaciers.   Amongst the originally planned construction projects were three new ski lifts, restaurants and bars, a tunnel, an asphalted water reservoir, additional artificial snow systems, more than four kilometres of roads and paths, and much more. Despite this plan being rejected in 2022, revised plans have resurfaced.  In Austria, just 7% of the country’s national territory is still in a natural state and free from any technical infrastructure, but this “megaproject”...

In Chile, a country more than 4,000 km long, few things are constant. Its people, climate, and landscape present an ever-changing array of differences. But there is one thing that you can find everywhere you look: the Andes. This massive mountain range crosses our country and, to some extent, determines all kinds of activities that will take part in our beloved strip of land. One of these activities, perhaps the oldest, is transhumant pastoralism. Contemporary transhumance in the central and northern Andes of Chile starts with pre-Hispanic transhumant practices, carried out with camelid livestock by the Aymara, Colla and Atacameña people, inheritors of the nomadic past of the first human settlements that followed the migratory routes of wild camelids, including guanacos and vicuñas. The knowledge of routes and plants of these cultures was, for lack of a better word, adopted by the Spanish conquistadores, who also had a long tradition of...

Mountain ski resorts are all faced with the challenge of coping with the effects of climate change these days. As the IPCC concluded in its latest assessment reports, climate change affects 1.28 billion people who reside in and around mountain areas across the globe, and has impacted a wide range of human and natural systems, including tourism. With rising temperatures and more extreme weather impacting current and potentially future ski seasons, what can resorts do now to survive in the future? Some ways in which mountain regions can adapt are to educate and raise awareness, promote the conservation of native flora and fauna, or promote mountain products such as eco-tourism. A project created by the Interreg Alpine Space Programme, is aiming to facilitate the adoption of co-constructed transition processes in ski resorts. The challenge is to promote new models of economic, social, and environmental development that support a sustainable future in...

Across the arid landscape of northern Kenya, roadside signs proclaim projects aimed at creating “resilience” among pastoralist communities. This is a region where frequent droughts, animal disease, insecurity and structural exclusion all affect pastoral livelihoods. Resilience – the capacity to transform or to recover quickly from challenges – is the idea behind the many externally funded projects and hundreds of millions of dollars spent over the past few decades. Resilience projects across the drylands often encourage pastoralists – usually working together in groups – to “modernise” their production or get out of livestock keeping completely. Projects include livestock breed improvement, reseeding pastures, creating fodder banks, upgrading market facilities or offering livestock insurance. Such projects are combined with investments in water resources and roads, as well as an array of “alternative livelihoods” projects. The value of this approach is under scrutiny amid one of the most severe droughts of the past century...

Understanding the complex changes in mountainous regions is challenging compared to the lowland areas. Human interventions in mountains have been reductionist, hindering progress in analysing their identity and impacts. This article identifies characteristics of the mountains to help understand and make necessary positive changes. A more interdisciplinary approach can lead to a holistic framework for designing sustainable transformations that ensure well-being for people and the environment.

Reflections, Tips, and Returning to “Why”