Multifunctionality in the Alps: Challenges and the potential for conflict over development

The Alps extend across the territory of seven countries in Central Europe. But what do they actually represent? Do they constitute the major barrier between north and south? Are they a reservoir of future European resources? Are they an all-purpose Disneyland for anyone seeking recreation, fun, or simply a quick thrill? Should they be seen as a habitat and a cultural landscape or a global model for sustainable development? Depending on the personal point of view of the observer or of the people who inhabit the Alps, they may be all or only one of these things.