Switzerland
The once isolated Jiri Valley of this hilly region of eastern Nepal came into prominence as a result of a Swiss developmental project. The Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (SATA) initiated a multi-purpose development project in 1957. At this time, the Swiss government and His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HGM) began to expend a tremendous amount of effort to develop the area, with...
This issue of cc.alps-compact presents an overview of spatial planning-related measures in the Alps to ameliorate the effects of climate change and promote adjustments to it. The second chapter explains CIPRA‘s key concerns: If spatial planning is to play a key role in climate protection, a number of things have to change, because in the case of conflicts of goals regarding the interests...
Mountainous soil erosion processes were investigated in the Urseren Valley (Central Switzerland) by means of measurements and simulations. The quantification of soil erosion was performed on hill slope scale (2·20 m) for three different land use types: hayfields, pastures with dwarf shrubs and pastures without dwarf shrubs with three replicates each. Erosion...
Little is known about the interaction between condensation, precipitation and evaporation as an integral part of the water cycle under high-mountain conditions. This paper focuses on methods of identification and measurement of condensation under natural conditions in high alpine valleys by example of the Dischma in eastern Switzerland. The role of different vegetation zones in transferring...
The Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) is a university institution that conducts resource- and people-oriented research and development activities in Switzerland and abroad. It is part of the Institute of Geography at the University of Berne and is the lead institution for the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North–South.
In addition to surveying food production from mountain areas, Euromontana’s 2002-2004 project takes stock of legislation, public schemes and private initiatives directly or indirectly addressing mountain farming and its food production. While the survey covered the eight countries involved in the project (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Poland, Norway and the UK) — and the...
Tourism is a business. Despite attractive brochures that advertise international understanding and exchange between local people and tourists, tourism is clearly a business proposition for those who supply tourist services and those who market these services world-wide. It is also clear that tourists themselves are more interested in relaxation, a change of scenery, and their own enjoyment...
The mountain forests of Switzerland and New Zealand have been modified by people, plants, and animals, albeit at different times and in distinctive ways. In both countries, what had been extensive wooded tracts at the start of human settlement were progressively converted by settlers to heterogeneous forest patches surrounded by pasture and other managed systems. Some native species thrived,...
The future of Swiss alpine winter tourism must be reassessed in view of global climate change in order to determine possible strategies for overall development of mountain regions. At present, 85% of all Swiss ski areas still have sufficient snow cover. A 300-m rise of the snow line, however, would reduce this to about 63%. As a consequence, skiers will expect more artificial snow, go on...
This paper explores endogenous development as a strategy for Swiss mountain communities. Endogenous development refers to self-determined participatory development based on regional needs and the use of endogenous potentials. Data from two case studies, Urnäsch and Schamserberg, show that endogenous development cannot be detached from its national and global context and that local...
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